papyrian

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pa•py•rus /pəˈpaɪrəs/   n., pl. -py•ri /-ˈpaɪraɪ, -ri/  -py•rus•es. 

1. Plant Biology [uncountable] a tall water plant, originally from the Nile valley.
2. Printing, Ancient History, Archaeology [uncountable] a material on which to write, prepared from thin strips of this plant pressed together.
3. Ancient History, Archaeology [countable] a document written on this material.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pa•py•rus  (pə pī′rəs), n., pl. -py•ri (-pī′rī, -rē), -py•rus•es. 

1. Plant Biology a tall, aquatic plant, Cyperus papyrus, of the sedge family, native to the Nile valley: the Egyptian subspecies, C. papyrus hadidii, thought to be common in ancient times, now occurs only in several sites.
2. Printing, Ancient History, Archaeology a material on which to write, prepared from thin strips of the pith of this plant laid together, soaked, pressed, and dried, used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.
3. Ancient History, Archaeology an ancient document, manuscript, or scroll written on this material.

• Greek pápȳros
• Latin papȳrus
• 1350–1400; Middle English papirus

pa•py′ral, pa•pyr•i•an  (pə pir′ē ən), pa•py•rine  (pə pī′rin), adj.  pap•y•ri•tious  (pap′ə rish′əs), adj.