acid test

noun

1. a severe and conclusive test to establish quality, genuineness, worth, etc.

acid test

noun

1. a rigorous and conclusive test to establish worth or value

   the play passed the critic's acid test

Word History and Origins

Origin of acid test¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of acid test¹

C19: from the testing of gold with nitric acid

Idioms and Phrases

A decisive trial to determine worth or quality, as in Exposure to brilliant sunlight is the acid test for showing this fabric won't fade . Alluding to a 19th-century chemical test for distinguishing gold from other metals, this term was used figuratively by the early 1900s.

Example Sentences

One senior source says, “no return to some form of austerity, that is the acid test – we all understand the inheritance, but there are different ways of raising money”.

From BBC

But an acid test lies in wait for Celtic against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

From BBC

It is this issue of pinch points which will be the acid test of the VAT policy in Edinburgh.

From BBC

Lactic acid tests have a number of important applications.

From Science Daily

The machine might even put supersymmetry to the acid test.

From Science Magazine