palimpsest
Say it: PAL-imp-sest /ˈpælɪmpsɛst/ · noun
What “palimpsest” means
A manuscript written over earlier writing that was rubbed away.
More precisely: A manuscript written over erased text; anything showing layers of its past.
When to use it
When discussing reused manuscripts, or more figuratively, places and objects where traces of earlier lives remain visible.
Memory trick
Greek palimpsēstos means scraped again: imagine old writing scraped away before a fresh layer.
It can also mean
It can describe a place or thing with visible layers of its past.
Similar words
layering, overlay, reused manuscript
Where it comes from
Greek palimpsēstos, 'scraped again'.
Quick check
An old parchment carries newer writing over faint traces of an earlier, scraped-away text. What kind of manuscript is it?
a facsimile or a palimpsest?
Show the answer
a palimpsest
Learn 5 new words a day in Kinquire. Each with a picture, how to say it, an example and a quick check, then spaced review so you actually keep them. Free to start.
Learn “palimpsest”