paragon
English
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman paragone, peragone, Middle French paragon, from Italian paragone (“comparison”) or Spanish parangón, from paragonare, from Ancient Greek παρακονάω (parakonáō, “I sharpen, whet”), from παρά (pará) + ἀκόνη (akónē, “whetstone”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”)).
Pronunciation
Noun
paragon (plural paragons)
- A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others. [from 16th c.]
- In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue who would never compromise her reputation.
- Shakespeare
- Man, […] the paragon of animals!
- Emerson
- The riches of sweet Mary's son, / Boy-rabbi, Israel's paragon.
- 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner's punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry [print version: No room for sentimentality in this tragedy, 13 September 2014, p. S22]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport)[1]:
- Yes, there were instances of grandstanding and obsessive behaviour, but many were concealed at the time to help protect an aggressively peddled narrative of [Oscar] Pistorius the paragon, the emblem, the trailblazer.
- (obsolete) A companion; a match; an equal. [16th–19th c.]
- Sir Philip Sidney
- Philoclea, who indeed had no paragon but her sister
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)
- Sir Philip Sidney
- (obsolete) Comparison; competition. [16th–17th c.]
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ix:
- good by paragone / Of euill, may more notably be rad, / As white seemes fairer, macht with blacke attone […] .
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ix:
- (typography, printing, dated) The size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point. [from 18th c.]
- A flawless diamond of at least 100 carats.
Synonyms
- (model): See Thesaurus:model
Translations
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Verb
paragon (third-person singular simple present paragons, present participle paragoning, simple past and past participle paragoned)
- To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Philip Sidney to this entry?)
- To compare with; to equal; to rival.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Edmund Spenser to this entry?)
- Glover
- In arms anon to paragon the morn, / The morn new rising.
- To serve as a model for; to surpass.
- Shakespeare
- He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description and wild fame.
- Shakespeare
- To be equal; to hold comparison.
Translations
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Further reading
- “paragon”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “paragon”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- paragon on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Czech
Pronunciation
Noun
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- A receipt, sales slip.
Synonyms
Polish
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
mid 16th century: from obsolete French, from Italian paragone ‘touchstone to try good (gold) from bad’, from medieval Greek parakonē [script needed] ‘whetstone’.
Pronunciation
Noun
paragon m inan
- receipt (written acknowledgement that a specified article or sum of money has been received)
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | paragon | paragony |
genitive | paragonu | paragonów |
dative | paragonowi | paragonom |
accusative | paragon | paragony |
instrumental | paragonem | paragonami |
locative | paragonie | paragonach |
vocative | paragonie | paragony |
Related terms
Further reading
- paragon on the Polish Wikipedia.Wikipedia pl
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Italian
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Requests for quotations/Spenser
- en:Typography
- en:Printing
- English dated terms
- English verbs
- Requests for quotations/Sir Philip Sidney
- Requests for quotations/Edmund Spenser
- en:People
- Czech terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish 3-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns