Wiktionary

paragon

English

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Copies of the paragons cut from the Cullinan Diamond

Etymology

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From Anglo-Norman paragone, peragone, Middle French paragon, from Italian paragone (“comparison”) or Spanish parangón, from Byzantine Greek παρακόνη (parakónē, “whetstone”), from Ancient Greek παρακονάω (parakonáō, “I sharpen, whet”), from παρά (pará) +‎ ἀκόνη (akónē, “whetstone”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”)).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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paragon (plural paragons)

  1. A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:model
    In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue who would never compromise her reputation.
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 262, column 2:
      What a piece of worke is man! how Noble in Reaſon? […] the beauty of the world, the Parragon of Animals;
    • 1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 246:
      That thou might'st cherish for thine own / 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”, 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.
    • 2021 May 6, Charles M. Blow, “Liz Cheney, We Have a Memory. You’re No Hero.”, in The New York Times‎[2], →ISSN:
      Liz Cheney and her father are positioning themselves as protectors of the old order, as paragons of truth and as defenders of our American norms.
    • 2023 February 11, Janan Ganesh, “After Germany's fall, which is the paragon nation?”, in FT Weekend, page 22:
      A paragon must embody liberal democracy. To get its hands dirty defending it is below-stairs.
  2. (obsolete) A companion; a match; an equal. [16th–19th c.]
  3. (obsolete) Comparison; competition. [16th–17th c.]
  4. (typography, printing, dated) The size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point. [from 18th c.]
  5. (gemmology) A flawless diamond of at least 100 carats.
    • 1861 Anon ("E.L.L"): Article "Precious Stones" in "Temple Bar", a London Magazine ed. George Augustus Sala , vol. III. November 1861, p. 377. https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/Temple_Bar/3Po7AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=paragon+diamond&pg=PA379&printsec=frontcover
      The "Koh-i-noor," or "Mountain of Light," is the eighth and smallest of these paragon diamonds (all diamonds weighing over a hundred carats are called Paragon); but it was originally the largest diamond ever known, weighing uncut 900 carats. . . It is believed that the Koh-i-noor and the Orloff are one and the same diamond, and that, if they could be reunited, they would make up the size and weight described by Tavernier, and prove to be this matchless gem of 900 carats which once belonged to the Great Mogul, and was the very paragon of paragons. Since the Mountain of Light came into the possession of the English it has been cut as a brilliant, whereby it has been still further diminished in weight, but enhanced in value and beauty. . .
      Next to the Paragons come a few highly celebrated diamonds, of rare value and beauty, but below the paragon standard of a hundred carats. There is the "Shah of Persia," with its curious inscription of Indian possessors, now belonging to Russia — a long irregular prism weighing 863 carats. . .

Translations

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Verb

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paragon (third-person singular simple present paragons, present participle paragoning, simple past and past participle paragoned)

  1. To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with.
  2. To compare with; to equal; to rival.
  3. To serve as a model for; to surpass.
  4. To be equal; to hold comparison.

Translations

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Further reading

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Czech

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Genericized trademark of the German paper company Paragon, from Italian paragone, from Byzantine Greek παρακόνη (parakónē).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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paragon m inan

  1. receipt, sales slip
    Synonyms: stvrzenka, účtenka

Declension

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Declension of paragon (hard masculine inanimate)
singular plural
nominative paragon paragony
genitive paragonu paragonů
dative paragonu paragonům
accusative paragon paragony
vocative paragone paragony
locative paragonu paragonech
instrumental paragonem paragony

Further reading

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  • “paragon”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
  • “paragon”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
  • “paragon”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl
 
paragon

Etymology

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Genericized trademark of the German paper company Paragon, from Italian paragone, from Byzantine Greek παρακόνη (parakónē).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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paragon m inan

  1. receipt (written acknowledgement that a specified article or sum of money has been received)

Declension

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Declension of paragon
singular plural
nominative paragon paragony
genitive paragonu paragonów
dative paragonowi paragonom
accusative paragon paragony
instrumental paragonem paragonami
locative paragonie paragonach
vocative paragonie paragony

Further reading

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  • paragon in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • paragon in Polish dictionaries at PWN
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