Cyperus Papyrus

Papyrus Pa*py"rus, n.; pl. {Papyri}. [L., fr. Gr. pa`pyros. See {Paper}.] 1. (Bot.) A tall rushlike plant ({Cyperus Papyrus}) of the Sedge family, formerly growing in Egypt, and now found in Abyssinia, Syria, Sicily, etc. The stem is triangular and about an inch thick. [1913 Webster]

2. The material upon which the ancient Egyptians wrote. It was formed by cutting the stem of the plant into thin longitudinal slices, which were gummed together and pressed. [1913 Webster]

3. A manuscript written on papyrus; esp., pl., written scrolls made of papyrus; as, the papyri of Egypt or Herculaneum. [1913 Webster]