Parmesan

noun

Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän 

-ˌzhän,

-zən,

-ˌzan 

: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges

sprinkled grated Parmesan over the spaghetti

Examples of Parmesan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What to Bring to a Dinner Party Grocery List Get at the store 1 large fennel bulb with fronds 1 bunch celery 3 lemons 1 wedge Parmesan 5 oz. —Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 11 Feb. 2025

Those looking to celebrate with the ladies can enjoy the Galentine’s Girl Dinner – Caesar salad, garlic Parmesan fries and the choice of either a Strawberry White Chocolate Martini or a Strawberries & Espresso Cocktail – exclusively available on Saturday, February 15th. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2025

Mix together mayo, Dijon mustard, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2025

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese. —Bev Barrett, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for Parmesan cheese; Parmesan "of the city of Parma," borrowed from Middle French parmisan, probably borrowed from a western Upper Italian variant of Tuscan parmigiano, from Parma "Parma" + -igiano, adjective suffix of appurtenance, from Vulgar Latin *-ēs- (going back to Latin -ensis, adjective suffix of place) + Latin -iānus -ian entry 2

Note: The expected Tuscan (and standard Italian) outcome of -igiano would be -iciano; cf. standard Italian bacio "kiss" (from Latin bāsium), usually pronounced [ˈba šo], but Ligurian [ˈba žu], Trentino (northwest Italy) [ˈba žo] (see Gerhard Rohlfs, Grammatica storica della lingua italiana e dei suoi dialetti: Sintassi e formazione delle parole, Turin, 1969, p. 392). The form -igiano with a voiced consonant hence presumably reflects Upper Italian influence. For instances of the same suffix as borrowed into French see courtesan, partisan entry 1. The common American English pronunciation of Parmesan with \zh\ may show dialectal Italian influence.

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Parmesan

noun

Par·​me·​san ˈpär-mə-ˌzän  -ˌzhän 

-zən,

-ˌzan

: a very hard dry sharply flavored cheese that is sold grated or in wedges