the skin of sheep, goats, etc., prepared for use as a material on which to write.
2.
a manuscript or document on such material.
3.
a stiff, off-white paper resembling this material.
4.
a diploma.
[Origin: 1275–1325; late ME < MF, OF (parche < L Parthica (pellis) Parthian (leather) + -ment(cf. ML percamentum, D perkament)); r. ME parchemin < OF (-min < ML pergamīnum, var. of pergaménum, for LL Pergaména charta paper of Pergamum)]
The skin of a sheep or goat prepared as a material on which to write or paint.
A written text or drawing on a sheet of this material.
Paper made in imitation of this material.
[Middle English parchemin, parchement (influenced by Medieval Latin pergamentum), from Old French parchemin, from Late Latin pergamīna, variant of Latin pergamēna, from feminine of Pergamēnus, of Pergamum, from Greek Pergamēnos, after Pergamon (Pergamum).]
c.1300, from O.Fr. perchemin (O.N.Fr. parcamin), from L.L. pergamenum "parchment," from Late Gk. pergamenon "of Pergamon," in allusion to Pergamon "Pergamum" (modern Bergama), city in Mysia in Asia Minor where it was supposedly first adopted as a substitute for papyrus, 2c. B.C.E. Possibly infl. in V.L. by L. parthica (pellis) "Parthian (leather)." Alt. in M.E. by confusion with nouns in -ent.
Parchment, MI (city, FIPS 62340) Location: 42.32695 N, 85.56549 W Population (1990): 1958 (840 housing units) Area: 2.2 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 49004
Parch"ment\ (-ment), n. [OE. parchemin, perchemin, F. parchemin, LL. pergamenum, L. pergamena, pergamina, fr. L. Pergamenus of or belonging to Pergamus an ancient city of Mysia in Asia Minor, where parchment was first used.]1. The skin of a lamb, sheep, goat, young calf, or other animal, prepared for writing on. See Vellum. But here's a parchment with the seal of C[ae]sar. --Shak. 2. The envelope of the coffee grains, inside the pulp. Parchment paper. See Papyrine.
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