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Webster 1913 Edition

Paragon

Par′a-gon

(păr′ȧ-gŏn)
,
Noun.
[OF.
paragon
, F.
parangon
; cf. It.
paragone
, Sp.
paragon
,
parangon
; prob. fr. Gr. [GREEK] to rub against;
παρά
beside + [GREEK] whetstone; cf. LGr. [GREEK] a polishing stone.]
1.
A companion; a match; an equal.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Philoclea, who indeed had no
paragon
but her sister.
Sir P. Sidney.
2.
Emulation; rivalry; competition.
[Obs.]
Full many feats adventurous
Performed, in
paragon
of proudest men.
Spenser.
3.
A model or pattern;
especially
a pattern of excellence or perfection;
as, a
paragon
of beauty or eloquence
.
Udall.
Man, . . . the
paragon
of animals !
Shakespeare
The riches of sweet Mary’s son,
Boy-rabbi, Israel's
paragon
.
Emerson.
4.
(Print.)
A size of type between great primer and double pica. See the Note under
Type
.

Par′a-gon

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. OF.
paragonner
, F.
parangonner
.]
1.
To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with.
[Obs.]
Sir P. Sidney.
2.
To compare with; to equal; to rival.
[R.]
Spenser.
In arms anon to
paragon
the morn,
The morn new rising.
Glover.
3.
To serve as a model for; to surpass.
[Obs.]
He hath achieved a maid
That
paragons
description and wild fame.
Shakespeare

Par′a-gon

,
Verb.
I.
To be equal; to hold comparison.
[R.]
Few or none could . . .
paragon
with her.
Shelton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Paragon

PAR'AGON

,
Noun.
[L. par,equal.]
1.
A model or pattern; a model by way of distinction, implying superior excellence or perfection; as a paragon of beauty or eloquence.
2.
A companion; a fellow.
3.
Emulation; a match for trial.

PAR'AGON

, v.t.
1.
To compare; to parallel.
The picture of Pamela, in little form, he wore in a tablet, purposing to paragon the little one with Artesia's length. [Little used.]
2.
To equal. [Little used.]

PAR'AGON

,
Verb.
I.
To pretend comparison or equality. [Little used.]

Definition 2024

paragon

paragon

English

Noun

paragon ‎(plural paragons)

  1. A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model of some given (especially positive) quality. [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):
      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.
  2. (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?)
  3. (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 [...].
  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.

Synonyms

  • (model): See Wikisaurus:model

Translations

Verb

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.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Philip Sidney to this entry?)
  2. To compare with; to equal; to rival.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)
    • Glover
      In arms anon to paragon the morn, / The morn new rising.
  3. To serve as a model for; to surpass.
    • Shakespeare
      He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description and wild fame.
  4. To be equal; to hold comparison.

Translations

Czech

Noun

paragon m

  1. A receipt, sales slip.

Synonyms

Polish

paragon

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /paˈraɡɔn/

Noun

paragon m inan

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

Declension

Related terms

  • paragonik

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 *h₂ḱrós ‎(“sharp”)).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpæɹəɡən/

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