n.
- a stiff material made from the prepared skin of a sheep or goat, formerly used as a writing surface.
-
(also parchment paper)
stiff translucent paper treated to resemble parchment.
- informal a diploma or other formal document.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. parchemin, from a blend of late L. pergamina ‘writing material from Pergamum’ and Parthica pellis ‘Parthian skin’ (a kind of scarlet leather).
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