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.

---

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

---

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

"If implemented at scale, it could represent a milestone in the history of knowledge storage, akin to oracle bones, medieval parchment or the modern hard drive," they said.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Cut your sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and spread them evenly on a large sheet pan covered in parchment paper.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

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 • Dec. 23, 2025

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 • Nov. 20, 2025

For even in the dimness he could see that the parchment was not blank.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda