papyrus
/pəˈpaɪərəs/noun
(pl. papyri /-raɪ/ 或papyruses) ［mass noun］
1
- a material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant, used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on and also for making articles such as rope, sandals, and boats（古代）纸（莎）草材料。
1.1
- count noun a document written on papyrus（纸草纸上的）古代文献。
2
- the tall aquatic sedge from which this material is obtained, native to central Africa and the Nile valley纸莎草。
2.1
- Cyperus papyrus, family Cyperaceae.拉丁名Cyperus papyrus,莎草科。
词源
late Middle English (in sense 2)： via Latin from Greek papuros. Sense 1 dates from the early 18th cent.