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

Here, the spice mingles with cardamom and ginger before giving way to earthy patchouli, papyrus, and creamy orris butter. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026

Charred to a crisp during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79, hundreds of papyrus scrolls lie tucked away unread in Italy’s National Library of Naples. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

The fragrance features top notes of bergamot, basil and saffron, with mid notes of wild fig, agarwood, pinot noir accord and base notes of incense, papyrus and black amber. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

It was written down on papyrus—a sheet made of papyrus stalks—which was the ancient Greek’s material of choice for permanent texts. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 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