Main Entry: pa·limp·sest

Pronunciation: \ˈpa-ləm(p)-ˌsest, pə-ˈlim(p)-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin palimpsestus, from Greek palimpsēstos scraped again, from palin + psēn to rub, scrape; akin to Sanskrit psāti, babhasti he chews

Date: 1825

1 : writing material (as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased
2 : something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface <Canada…is a palimpsest, an overlay of classes and generations — Margaret Atwood>