paragon
[ par-uh-gon, -guh n ]
/ ˈpær əˌgɒn, -gən /
noun
verb (used with object)
Origin of paragon
1540–50; < Middle French < Old Italian
paragone comparison, perhaps < Greek
parágōn, present participle of
parágein ‘to bring side by side’
OTHER WORDS FROM paragon
par·a·gon·less, adjectiveWords nearby paragon
Example sentences from the Web for paragon
British Dictionary definitions for paragon
paragon
/ (ˈpærəɡən) /
noun
a model of excellence; pattern
a paragon of virtue
a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 20 point
verb (tr)
archaic
- to equal or surpass
- to compare
- to regard as a paragon
Word Origin for paragon
C16: via French from Old Italian
paragone comparison, from Medieval Greek
parakonē whetstone, from Greek
parakonan to sharpen against, from
para-
1 +
akonan to sharpen, from
akonē whetstone