'Papyri' definitions:

Definition of 'Papyri'

From: GCIDE
  • 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]