palimpsest

pal·imp·sest  (plmp-sst)

n.

1. A manuscript, typically of papyrus or parchment, that has been written on more than once, with the earlier writing incompletely erased and often legible.

2. An object, place, or area that reflects its history: "Spaniards in the sixteenth century . . . saw an ocean moving south . . . through a palimpsest of bayous and distributary streams in forested paludal basins" (John McPhee).

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[Latin palimpsstum, from Greek palimpsston, neuter of palimpsstos, scraped again : palin, again; see k^wel-¹ in Indo-European roots + psn, to scrape.]

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palimpsest [ˈpælɪmpˌsɛst]

n

(Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a manuscript on which two or more successive texts have been written, each one being erased to make room for the next

adj

1. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (of a text) written on a palimpsest

2. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (of a document) used as a palimpsest

[from Latin palimpsestus parchment cleaned for reuse, from Greek palimpsēstos, from palin again + psēstos rubbed smooth, from psēn to scrape]

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palimpsest

a parchment from which earlier writing has been partially or completely removed by scraping so that it may be used again. — palimpsestic, adj.

See also: Manuscripts

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a piece of parchment or vellum from which earlier writing has been erased or scraped off to allow for reuse. — palimpsestic, adj.

See also: Books

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

palimpsest - a manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible holograph, manuscript - handwritten book or document

Translations

palimpsest [ˈpælɪmpsest] N → palimpsesto m

palimpsest

n → Palimpsest m