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

This traditional fan favorite can be served with Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges, after taking only 12 minutes to bake. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2025

For a finishing touch, grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the spaghetti. —Jennifer Adams, StyleCaster, 5 Mar. 2025

Blend into pesto or pulse them with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free Parmesan, or use them as a crust for tofu or veggies. — SUZANNE FISHER, RD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD Potential Downsides Nuts like cashews are a healthy addition to most diets. —Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2025

Between the lines: The nation's largest pizza chain is setting its sights on Pizza Hut and other rivals with the addition of Parmesan Stuffed Crust. —Nathan Bomey, Axios, 3 Mar. 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

Rhymes for Parmesan

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

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