parchment

American  

[pahrch-muhnt] / ˈpɑrtʃ mənt /

noun

1. the skin of sheep, goats, etc., prepared for use as a material on which to write.

2. a manuscript or document on such material.

3. a stiff, off-white paper resembling this material.

4. a diploma.

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parchment British  

/ ˈpɑːtʃmənt /

noun

1. the skin of certain animals, such as sheep, treated to form a durable material, as for bookbinding, or (esp formerly) manuscripts

2. a manuscript, bookbinding, etc, made of or resembling this material

3. a type of stiff yellowish paper resembling parchment

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Other Word Forms

• parchmentlike adjective
• parchmenty adjective

Etymology

Origin of parchment

1275–1325; late Middle English < Middle French, Old French ( parche < Latin Parthica ( pellis ) Parthian (leather) + -ment (compare Medieval Latin percamentum, Dutch perkament )); replacing Middle English parchemin < Old French ( -min < Medieval Latin pergamīnum, variant of pergamēnum, for Late Latin Pergamēna charta paper of Pergamum )

Example Sentences

The show’s sublime ensemble of his work illustrates how Frank’s clean lines are complemented by pale and pricey finishes of materials like parchment and shagreen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

From Salon

When asked how to keep a Thanksgiving turkey juicy while cooking, Stewart pointed to her Turkey 101 recipe, which uses cheesecloth or parchment paper to keep the meat moist.

From Salon

For everything else, just portion into your tray, cover with a bit of parchment or plastic wrap if you’re feeling fancy, and once frozen, pop the cubes into a zip-top bag for long-term storage.

From Salon

Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment.

From Salon