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

For dinner, standouts included a superb chicken cordon bleu, polar fjord haddock with Parmesan polenta, and an always-available filet cooked to perfection. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026

Upgrade yours with our homemade toppings, including Basil Butter with Parmesan, Bacon with Ranch Drizzle, Honey-Chipotle Glaze, or Smoky Barbecue Rub. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 15 June 2026

Using a vegetable peeler, shave a modest amount of Parmesan onto a plate (a mound of grated Parmesan may look impressive, but all that clumpy cheese mutes the dressing). —Sue Li, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 June 2026

The classic salad flavors—Parmesan, lemon, Dijon, anchovy paste—in dip form. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026

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
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon

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