Parmesan

noun

Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän 

-ˌzhän,

-zən,

-ˌzan 

: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges

sprinkled grated Parmesan over the spaghetti

Examples of Parmesan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s because, aside from a few grams in the Parmesan, the recipe is noticeably lacking in protein, a macronutrient that greatly contributes to satiety. —Audrey Bruno, SELF, 19 Mar. 2025

In addition to cheesy garlic bread (seeded Bronx bastone, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and Parmesan Reggiano, Sicilian oregano, served with an 8-hour marinara) and meatballs with 8-hour marinara, the stand is offering two new desserts! —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Instead, head north to this university city named by UNESCO as the world’s first Creative City of Gastronomy, thanks to Parma’s status as the birthplace of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. —Andrew Richdale, AFAR Media, 17 Mar. 2025

Noble Made Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce, 9.25oz: Class II Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company Milk Chocolate Covered Macadamias, 1oz: Class I Naturipe Value Added Fresh LLC Berry Buddies; Blueberries, Mini Pancakes & Real Maple Syrup: Class I Del Monte Foods, Inc. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for Parmesan cheese; Parmesan "of the city of Parma," borrowed from Middle French parmisan, probably borrowed from a western Upper Italian variant of Tuscan parmigiano, from Parma "Parma" + -igiano, adjective suffix of appurtenance, from Vulgar Latin *-ēs- (going back to Latin -ensis, adjective suffix of place) + Latin -iānus -ian entry 2

Note: The expected Tuscan (and standard Italian) outcome of -igiano would be -iciano; cf. standard Italian bacio "kiss" (from Latin bāsium), usually pronounced [ˈba šo], but Ligurian [ˈba žu], Trentino (northwest Italy) [ˈba žo] (see Gerhard Rohlfs, Grammatica storica della lingua italiana e dei suoi dialetti: Sintassi e formazione delle parole, Turin, 1969, p. 392). The form -igiano with a voiced consonant hence presumably reflects Upper Italian influence. For instances of the same suffix as borrowed into French see courtesan, partisan entry 1. The common American English pronunciation of Parmesan with \zh\ may show dialectal Italian influence.

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Parmesan

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

Kids Definition

Parmesan

noun

Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän  -ˌzhän 

-zən,

-ˌzan

: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges