Palimpsest (Noun)
Meaning
A manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The medieval manuscript was a palimpsest, with the faint text of an ancient Greek poem visible beneath the later Latin translation.
- The archivist carefully handled the ancient papyrus, trying not to damage the delicate palimpsest.
- Scholars spent years deciphering the hidden text on the palimpsest, uncovering a previously unknown work by a famous author.
- The museum's rare book room featured a palimpsest from the 5th century, its worn pages revealing fragments of a long-lost letter.
- Researchers used advanced imaging techniques to uncover the underlying text on the palimpsest, revealing new information about a forgotten historical event.