paragon

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”)).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹəɡən/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹəˌɡɔn/, /ˈpæɹəˌɡɑn/, /ˈpæɹəɡən/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

    (Mary–marry–merry distinction)

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 606515358, [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 625986, 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)‎:

     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, ISSN 0362-4331:

     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.]
   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, OCLC 801077108; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, OCLC 318419127:

     Philoclea, who indeed had no paragon but her sister

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:

     Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed,
     Having so peerlesse paragon ygot

3. (obsolete) Comparison; competition. [16th–17th c.]
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:

     good by paragone / Of euill, may more notably be rad, / As white seemes fairer, macht with blacke attone […] .

4. (typography, printing, dated) The size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point. [from 18th c.]
5. A flawless diamond of at least 100 carats.

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.
   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, OCLC 801077108; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, OCLC 318419127:

     for want of a bigger , to paragon the little one with Artesia's length

2. To compare with; to equal; to rival.
   • 1612–1620, [Miguel de Cervantes]; Thomas Shelton, transl., The History of the Valorous and Wittie Knight-errant Don-Quixote of the Mancha. […], London: […] William Stansby, for Ed[ward] Blount and W. Barret, OCLC 84747867:

     Few or none could for Feature paragon with her, and much less excel her.

   • a. 1786, [Richard Glover], “Book the Twenty-seventh”, in [Mrs. Halsey], editor, The Athenaid, a Poem, […], volume III, London: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], published 1787, OCLC 228751730, lines 539–543, page 192:

     In arms anon to paragon the morn, / The morn new-riſing, whoſe vermillion hand / Draws from the bright'ning front of heav'n ſerene / The humid curtains of tempeſtuous night, / Mardonius mounts his courſer.

3. To serve as a model for; to surpass.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i]:

     He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description and wild fame.

4. To be equal; to hold comparison.

• paragon in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• paragon in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
• paragon on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• IPA^(key): [ˈparaɡon]

paragon m

1. A receipt, sales slip.

   Synonyms: stvrzenka, účtenka

• paragon in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• paragon in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
• paragon in Internetová jazyková příručka

From the name of a German paper company called Paragon, from Italian paragone (“touchstone to try good (gold) from bad”), from Byzantine Greek παρακόνη (parakónē, “whetstone”).

• IPA^(key): /paˈra.ɡɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɡɔn
• Syllabification: pa‧ra‧gon

paragon m inan

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

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