Illustration of papyrus
- papyrus 1
papyrus
noun
pa·py·rus
pə-ˈpī-rəs 
plural papyri
pə-ˈpī-(ˌ)rē
-rī
or papyruses
1
: a tall perennial sedge (Cyperus papyrus) of the Nile valley
2
: the pith of the papyrus plant especially when made into strips and pressed into a material to write on
3
a
: a writing on papyrus
b
: a written scroll made of papyrus
He discovered a papyrus in the ruins.
Examples of papyrus in a Sentence
an ancient text written on papyrus
He discovered a papyrus in the ruins.
Recent Examples on the Web
The competition is spurring researchers to decode the wealth of information about ancient Rome and Greece contained within the papyri.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
This papyrus is the longest Greek document ever found in the Judean Desert, containing over 133 lines of text.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
This is largely due to the fact that the fire that preserved the papyrus—saving it from the deterioration usually caused by the humidity of Greek soil—also destroyed it.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
The papyrus is dated circa 1550 BCE, with parts of it copied from even earlier texts.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for papyrus 
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
This papyrus is the longest Greek document ever found in the Judean Desert, containing over 133 lines of text.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
This is largely due to the fact that the fire that preserved the papyrus—saving it from the deterioration usually caused by the humidity of Greek soil—also destroyed it.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
The papyrus is dated circa 1550 BCE, with parts of it copied from even earlier texts.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for papyrus
Dictionary Entries Near papyrus
Cite this Entry
“Papyrus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papyrus. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
papyrus
noun
pa·py·rus
pə-ˈpī-rəs
plural papyri
-ˈpī(ə)r-ē
-ˌī
also papyruses
1
: a tall sedge of the Nile valley
2
: the soft central part of papyrus stems especially when made into strips and pressed into a writing material
3
: a writing on or written scroll of papyrus
Etymology
Middle English papyrus "papyrus," from Latin papyrus "papyrus, paper," from Greek papyros "papyrus" — related to paper
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