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

The signature bowl, which includes Rancho Gordo heirloom beans, poblano peppers, burrata, Parmesan, oregano and sourdough bread in its autumn iteration, is now $17 instead of its original $21. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025

Sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan, thyme leaves and a few cracks of black pepper before serving. —CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025

Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomato & Parmesan The viral sandwich is built on the Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomato & Parmesan, a soft, savory loaf featuring a crisp, golden crust and a light, airy interior. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025

Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes are easy to make and have a short ingredient list, but are oh-so good. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025

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
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

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