Parmesan

[pahr-muh-zahn, -zan, -zuh n; pahr-muh-zahn, -zan]

adjective

of or from Parma, in northern Italy.

noun

(sometimes lowercase) Also called Parmesan cheese. a hard, dry variety of Italian cheese made from skim milk, usually grated and sprinkled over pasta dishes and soups.

Origin of Parmesan

1510–20; < Middle French < Italian parmigiano pertaining to Parma

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for parmesan

Contemporary Examples of parmesan

In medium size bowl, using a fork, blend together eggs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Cat Cora’s Valentine’s Day Menu for Single People
Cat Cora
February 13, 2014
Add the crème fraîche, Parmesan, and lemon juice and check the seasoning.
Three Quinoa Recipes for Your Weekend Parties
Jane Coxwell
May 26, 2013
Add the lettuce leaves, grated Parmesan cheese and the croutons.
Foods That We Love But Shouldn’t
Lydia Brownlow
July 15, 2011
For example, what is labeled as “Parmesan cheese” in the U.S. is not produced in its original heartland of Emilia Romagna.
Elegy to Italian Cheese
Jesse Dart
May 21, 2011
Dust the surface of the fennel with the salt and pepper, then evenly distribute the grated Parmesan over the gratin.
Eco-Chic Safari
Sophie Menin
July 27, 2010

Historical Examples of parmesan

Amidst the heavy exhalations of these, a Parmesan set a spicy aroma.
The Fat and the Thin
Emile Zola
Dish them in a circle with spaghetti dressed with Parmesan in the centre.
Choice Cookery
Catherine Owen
It is also served as an entrée raw, the stalks stuffed with Parmesan cheese.
The Complete Bachelor
Walter Germain
Parmesan is an Italian cheese, excellent with macaroni and spaghetti.
Foods and Household Management
Helen Kinne
The episodes of Parmesan court intrigue are models of observation and irony.
Egoists
James Huneker

British Dictionary definitions for parmesan

Parmesan

adjective

of or relating to Parma or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Parma

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for parmesan

Parmesan

type of dry, hard cheese, 1550s, from Italian Parmegiano "of Parma," from Parma, city in northern Italy, one of the places where the cheese is made. Full form parmeson chese is recorded from 1510s. The place name ultimately is Etruscan.