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

The fragment is a Ptolemaic relic that dates to around 285-250 BCE, and was rendered with a stylus, using charcoal and water on papyrus. — News Desk, Artforum, 18 Aug. 2026

The rooms All Volcanoes lodges are hand-built and use no machinery (apart from sanding) by their team of builders, carpenters, welders, and fundi/artisans, from the papyrus roof to the bedside lamps. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026

Historians have spent centuries parsing fragments of papyrus in an effort to understand what went wrong. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

In the 18th century, an Italian monk, Father Antonio Piaggio, invented a device to gently unroll the carbonized papyrus. — Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin — more at paper

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for papyrus

• veneris
• cirrus
• cuirass
• pyrus

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