palimpsest

/ˈpælɪmpsɛst/

//ˈpælɪmpsɛst// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"palimpsest" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“palimpsest” is uncommon English (frequency #89,726 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#89,726
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-palimpsest · palimpsest · English

palimpsest · rank #89,726 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #89,726
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH palpation

Nearest frequency peer: palpation (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “palimpsest”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “palimpsest” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for palimpsest
PropertyValue
Headwordpalimpsest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpælɪmpsɛst/
Letters10
Frequency rank#89,726
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “palimpsest” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).palimpsestfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “palpation” (#89,727), “Paik” (#89,723), “Panjab” (#89,729). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “palimpsest” is #89,726. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

palimpsest is uncommon English at frequency #89,726 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpælɪmpsɛst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for palimpsest in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin palimpsēstus, from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος (palímpsēstos, “scraped again”). The correct English form is palimpsest, spelled P-A-L-I-M-P-S-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 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. 2
    Monumental brasses that have been reused by engraving of the blank back side.
  3. 3
    Circular features believed to be lunar craters that have been obliterated by later volcanic activity.
  4. 4
    Geological features thought to be related to features or effects below the surface.
  5. 5
    Memory that has been erased and re-written.
  6. 6
    The partial erasure of or superimposition on an older society or culture by a newer one.
  7. 7
    Something bearing the traces of an earlier, erased form.
  8. 8
    A text with several layers of meaning, especially pertaining to different points in time.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how palimpsest appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. But on her he did not see even the palimpsest of a smile.
  2. Miraculously, the Stasi's record of Garton Ash's years in Berlin remained intact, and in his extraordinary book The File he recalls going back to Berlin, sifting through the material, and piecing together those years for himself. The result is a palimpsest of memories, observations recorded by informants and agents, and the recollections in his own diarie…

Etymology

From Latin palimpsēstus, from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος (palímpsēstos, “scraped again”).

Synonyms

codex rescriptus

This word in other languages

palimpsesto(Español)palimpseste(Français)Palimpsest(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "palimpsest"?
"palimpsest" is spelled P-A-L-I-M-P-S-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpælɪmpsɛst/.
What does "palimpsest" mean?
As a noun, "palimpsest" means: 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.
How do you pronounce "palimpsest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "palimpsest" is /ˈpælɪmpsɛst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "palimpsest"?
From Latin palimpsēstus, from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος (palímpsēstos, “scraped again”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "palimpsest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pectoralis#89,746pennyworth#89,748numberless#89,694quantifier#89,811

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list