Definitions for: Papyrus

[n] a document written on papyrus
[n] tall sedge of the Nile valley yielding fiber that served many purposes in historic times
[n] paper made from the papyrus plant by cutting it in strips and pressing it flat; used by ancient Egyptians and Greeks and Romans

Webster (1913) Definition: Pa*py"rus, n.; pl. Papyri. [L., fr. Gr. ?. See
Paper.]
1. (Bot.) A tall rushlike plant (Cyperus Papyrus) of the
Sedge family, formerly growing in Egypt, and now found in
Abyssinia, Syria, Sicily, etc. The stem is triangular and
about an inch thick.

2. The material upon which the ancient Egyptians wrote. It
was formed by cutting the stem of the plant into thin
longitudinal slices, which were gummed together and
pressed.

3. A manuscript written on papyrus; esp., pl., written
scrolls made of papyrus; as, the papyri of Egypt or
Herculaneum.

Synonyms: Cyperus papyrus, Egyptian paper reed, paper rush

See Also: Cyperus, document, genus Cyperus, paper, papers, sedge, written document

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