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

How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan This recipe follows all the usual steps for making Chicken Parmesan, just streamlined on a sheet pan. —Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026

Other popular entrees include shrimp and grits made with Parmesan stone-ground grits, Andouille sausage, sweet peppers, and a garlic cream sauce, as well as Gulf red snapper, sesame chicken tenders, and cast-iron salmon. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026

The soufflé begins like all savory soufflés with a base of Mornay, which is essentially a béchamel made with Parmesan and Gruyère. —Claire Ballor staff Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026

Hoja santa and fennel bring a subtle licorice perfume to a weightless spin on fideo verde, finished with avocado slices and a snow flurry of Parmesan. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 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
• 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