Parmesan

noun

Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän How to pronounce Parmesan (audio)
-ˌzhän, 
-zən, 
-ˌzan How to pronounce Parmesan (audio)
: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges
sprinkled grated Parmesan over the spaghetti

Examples of Parmesan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sauce choices include Classic Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Sweet Asian Chile, Garlic Parmesan, Extra Hot Buffalo and Honey Pepper, along with your choice of Bleu cheese or buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping. —Mike Snider, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026 Hard cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda, or Parmesan have a lower moisture content and can be frozen, although its best to grate or shred them first for easy thawing. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026 Ina usually pairs this roast beef recipe with her Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise, but that’s far from your only option. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026 Sauce choices include Classic Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Sweet Asian Chile, Garlic Parmesan, Extra Hot Buffalo and Honey Pepper, along with your choice of Bleu cheese or buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Parmesan

Word History

Etymology

short for Parmesan cheese; Parmesan "of the city of Parma," borrowed from Middle French parmisan, probably borrowed from a western Upper Italian variant of Tuscan parmigiano, from Parma "Parma" + -igiano, adjective suffix of appurtenance, from Vulgar Latin *-ēs- (going back to Latin -ensis, adjective suffix of place) + Latin -iānus -ian entry 2

Note: The expected Tuscan (and standard Italian) outcome of -igiano would be -iciano; cf. standard Italian bacio "kiss" (from Latin bāsium), usually pronounced [ˈba šo], but Ligurian [ˈba žu], Trentino (northwest Italy) [ˈba žo] (see Gerhard Rohlfs, Grammatica storica della lingua italiana e dei suoi dialetti: Sintassi e formazione delle parole, Turin, 1969, p. 392). The form -igiano with a voiced consonant hence presumably reflects Upper Italian influence. For instances of the same suffix as borrowed into French see courtesan, partisan entry 1. The common American English pronunciation of Parmesan with \zh\ may show dialectal Italian influence.

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Parmesan was in 1538

Rhymes for Parmesan

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Browse Nearby Words

Parmentiera
Parmesan
parmigiana
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Cite this Entry

“Parmesan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Parmesan. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Parmesan

noun
Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän How to pronounce Parmesan (audio) -ˌzhän How to pronounce Parmesan (audio)
-zən, 
-ˌzan
: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges

More from Merriam-Webster on Parmesan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Parmesan

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