palimpsest

pa·limp·sest

noun \ˈpa-ləm(p)-ˌsest, pə-ˈlim(p)-\

Definition of PALIMPSEST

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>

Examples of PALIMPSEST

1. The ancient city is an architectural palimpsest.

Origin of PALIMPSEST

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

First Known Use: 1825

Other Paper Terms

folio, quire, ream

Rhymes with PALIMPSEST

acid test, almagest, anapest, beta test, blanket chest, Bucharest, decongest, disinfest, disinterest, disinvest, false arrest, galley-west, Hammerfest, hornet's nest, house arrest, manifest, north-northwest, placement test, predigest, quarter rest, reinvest, rinderpest, Rorschach test, Sackville-West, second-best, self-addressed, self-confessed, self-interest, self-possessed, uninterest, unprofessed, vision quest