Pa-pȳ'rus, n.

noun

n.; pl. PA-PȲ'RI. [Lat., Gr. πάπυρος. See PAPER.] 1. (Bot.) A species of reed or flag common in many warm countries, and especially in Egypt, from which the ancients made a material for writing upon, by taking the layer between the flesh and thick bark of the plant, and uniting strips with a glutinous substance under pressure. 2. A manuscript written on pieces of the papyrus.

An engraved botanical illustration of a clump of tall, slender plants with narrow leaves and curved flower heads.