palimpsest.

1. A manuscript or writing surface reused after earlier writing was erased or removed, often retaining traces of it.

2. A place or object that preserves traces of earlier forms beneath later changes.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• medieval palimpsest
• parchment palimpsest

On the page

The palimpsest retained faint lines beneath the newer script.

The scholar photographed the parchment palimpsest.

A prayer had been written over the earlier text in the palimpsest.

Usage notes

Primary category: fantasy. Forms: Singular palimpsest; plural palimpsests. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.