parchment

noun

parch·​ment ˈpärch-mənt 

1

: the skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on

2

: strong, tough, and often somewhat translucent paper made to resemble parchment

3

: a parchment manuscript

also : an academic diploma

Examples of parchment in a Sentence

Ancient people wrote on parchment.

a parchment dating back to ancient times

Line the pan with a sheet of parchment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Preheat oven to 300°F; line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025

To prevent the strips from sticking together, freeze each strip individually in parchment paper and tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, per the outlet. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025

Greasing a sheet of parchment paper and using that (greased side down) to compact the mixture is an easy and less messy way to get the mixture into an even layer. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025

Bring the ends together to form an oval, pinching the ends to seal. 6. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. —Randy Graham, Orange County Register, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parchemin, from Anglo-French, modification of Latin pergamena, from Greek pergamēnē, from feminine of Pergamēnos of Pergamum, from Pergamon Pergamum

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

parchment

noun

parch·​ment ˈpärch-mənt 

1

: the skin of a sheep or goat prepared as a writing material

2

: a paper like parchment

3

: something written on parchment