parchment

Everyday

1. A material for writing on, made long ago from the thin, dried skin of a sheep, goat or calf. tree →
2. A document written on it: an old parchment. tree →
3. Thick, stiff, yellowish paper made to look like it (parchment paper); also baking paper. tree →

In the lessons

History lessons: medieval books, charters and Magna Carta (1215) were written on parchment. Stories: treasure maps and old scrolls. In Alice in Wonderland the White Rabbit unrolls a parchment scroll to read out the accusation at the trial. Cooking: line the tin with baking parchment.

Examples

• Magna Carta was written on parchment. tree →
• The White Rabbit unrolled the parchment scroll. tree →
• The pirate's map was drawn on old parchment. tree →
• Monks copied books onto parchment by hand. tree →
• Line the cake tin with baking parchment. tree →
• The old man's skin looked like parchment. tree →
• We made our certificates look like parchment. tree →
• CLIO, the muse of History, holds in her hand a roll of parchment, and wears a wreath of laurel. tree →

Note

Uncountable as a material (a sheet of parchment); countable for documents (old parchments). «Vellum» is fine parchment made from calfskin.