Definition of "palimpsest" in English

noun

1. A manuscript or document that has been erased or scraped clean, for reuse of the paper, parchment, vellum, or other medium on which it was written.

2. (archaic) Monumental brasses that have been reused by engraving of the blank back side.

3. (astronomy) Circular features believed to be lunar craters that have been obliterated by later volcanic activity.

4. (geology) Geological features thought to be related to features or effects below the surface.

5. (computing) Memory that has been erased and re-written.

6. (cultural studies) The partial erasure of or superimposition on an older society or culture by a newer one.

7. Something bearing the traces of an earlier, erased form.

8. A text with several layers of meaning, especially pertaining to different points in time.

verb

1. To scrape clean, as in parchment, for reuse.

2. On paper: to reuse, often by erasure or change of pen direction or color. Especially fueled by Earth Day.

   • Typically refers to a multi-layered work, e.g.: new ads covering old on a roadside sign.