papyrus

noun

pa·​py·​rus pə-ˈpī-rəs 

plural papyri pə-ˈpī-(ˌ)rē 

-rī

or papyruses

1

: a tall perennial sedge (Cyperus papyrus) of the Nile valley

2

: the pith of the papyrus plant especially when made into strips and pressed into a material to write on

3

a

: a writing on papyrus

b

: a written scroll made of papyrus

He discovered a papyrus in the ruins.

Illustration of papyrus

• papyrus 1

Examples of papyrus in a Sentence

an ancient text written on papyrus

He discovered a papyrus in the ruins.

Recent Examples on the Web

This set of four waffle fabric towels are available in cilantro, papyrus beige, soft silver, washed indigo, blue linen, and old rose. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025

These empires managed to encode their folkloric art into everyday realities through the curation of their imagery, a comic-strip like style, refined and easy to replicate, while heavily coded with elements partial to those empires’ realities, such as papyrus, chariots, and images of the afterlife. —Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025

Banana leaves and papyrus weave through the architecture like living walls, while East African yellow wood structures honor the park's legacy. —Natalie Preddie, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

Among these fragile artifacts are millennia-old papyrus scrolls, textiles, sarcophagi, pottery and mummified human remains. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin — more at paper

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

papyrus

noun

pa·​py·​rus pə-ˈpī-rəs 

plural papyri -ˈpī(ə)r-ē 

-ˌī

also papyruses

1

: a tall sedge of the Nile valley

2

: the soft central part of papyrus stems especially when made into strips and pressed into a writing material

3

: a writing on or written scroll of papyrus

Etymology

Middle English papyrus "papyrus," from Latin papyrus "papyrus, paper," from Greek papyros "papyrus" — related to paper