etalon
- noun
- /ˈɛtəlɒn/
- Specialized
- In scientific testing, the precision of instruments is often checked against an etalon to ensure accuracy.
Examples
-
The lab used a well-defined etalon to calibrate the new measuring equipment.
-
A meter stick serves as an etalon for measuring lengths in the classroom.
-
In 1913, the French artist, philosopher, and chess player Marcel Duchamp created what he called his most important work, Trois stoppages-etalon (Three Standard Stoppages).
Academic text (1993) -
If a magician's tricks become replicable and public, then the subjective lessons of whimsy, personal invention, intellectual challenge, and pure poetry suggested by a work like Duchamp's Trois stoppages-etalon would be lost.
Academic text (1993)
Synonyms
288
2.5
A standard used to compare people or things
107
3.1
A standard used to compare other things
14
5.6
A measure people use to judge how good or successful something is
1
6.4
A device that checks and adjusts measuring tools so they give correct readings
A device that tests if gas and water meters read correctly
How Accurate
17
3.9
- Specialized
62
4.2
∞
1.6
39
3.7
50
2.8
Surface Forms
Etymology
Etalon comes from the French étalon, meaning 'standard' or 'gauge'. A helpful way to remember this is to think of an etalon as a trusted 'standard' or reference object you use to check and calibrate other instruments.