Word of the day · Thursday 30 July 2026
Palimpsest
noun A manuscript or document that has been erased or scraped clean, for reuse of the paper, parchment, vellum, or other medium on which it was written.
verb To scrape clean, as in parchment, for reuse.
Definition from the free dictionary API.
Palimpsest
Meaning:
1. Literal: An old manuscript or parchment where the original writing was erased and written over with new text.
2. Figurative: Something that has layers of history — where the old is still faintly visible under the new. Like a city, memory, or habit that’s been written over but traces remain.
Pronounced: _PAL-imp-sest_
From Greek _palímpsestos_ = "scraped again"
Sentence:
The old diary was a palimpsest — under the new shopping lists I could still see my grandma’s faded love letters.
Other examples:
- Rome is a palimpsest of history, with ancient ruins sitting under modern streets.
- His personality felt like a palimpsest, with traces of his childhood self showing through the adult he became.
Quick way to remember:
Palimpsest = Layers. Old stuff erased, but not completely gone. New stuff written on top.
Share this word