papyros

English

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros). Doublet of paper and papyrus.

Noun

papyros (countable and uncountable, plural papyroi)

1. (in ancient Greek context) Synonym of papyrus.
   • 1901, The Canada Medical Record, volume 29, page 192:

     The famous “Papyros Ebers,” which was written during the reign of the Egyptian king Bicheres, 3,500 years ago, was discovered by the celebrated archeologist, Georg Ebers in 1872, when an Arab brought him a metallic case containing a papyros roll enveloped in mummy cloths, which he claimed had been discovered between the bones of a mummy in a tomb of the Theban Necropolis.

   • 1966, T[homas] B[ertram] L[onsdale] Webster, The Art of Greece: The Age of Hellenism (Art of the World, European Cultures: The Historical, Sociological and Religious Backgrounds), New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishers, Inc., →LCCN, page 98:

     Another example from the same mould has the mask of a slave of comedy in one hand and a papyros roll in the other, so that it was presumably a present to a victorious comic poet.

   • 1974, The Astrological Magazine, volume 63, page 122, column 2:

     We have in this book [Egyptian Magic by E. A. Wallis Budge] dozens of excerpts from magical papyroi, tomb inscriptions and other sources.

   • 1980, Erich Hobusch, Fair Game: A History of Hunting, Shooting, and Animal Conservation, Arco Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 45:

     […] as may be seen with several representations in Egyptian papyros. The large swamps of the Nile delta with their thickets of lotus, papyros and reed, were favourite hunting grounds in Ancient Egypt. The papyros plants themselves were important for the fibre they supplied, used in the making of indispensable writing material and the construction of light papyros boats for hunting and fishing. […] Wild geese and ducks in flight from the papyros thickets are among the most impressive pictures of fauna in Egyptian art.

   • 1991, Το Αρχαιολογικο εργο στη Μακεδονια και Θρακη, volume 5, Aristotelio Panepistēmio Thessalonikēs, page 4:

     Finally, finds, such as the clay stamp of a papyros and the silver sheet, are related to the use of the building for the worship of the Mother Goddess.

   • 2008, Paul R. Brenner, Abominations, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN:

     “Why would anyone loot a papyros shop?” / “As valuable as papyros is, it does not have street value like jewels or olive oil or wine. If the shop were attacked, it would be as an act of vengeance against Greeks.”

   • 2015, Louise C. Langford-Verstegen, Hagios Charalambos: A Minoan Burial Cave in Crete, volume II (The Pottery), Philadelphia, Pa.: INSTAP Academic Press, →ISBN, page 121, column 1:

     As we know, in Egypt, the country of origin for this instrument (cf. Watrous 1995, 397), idiophones like sistra “were particularly associated with religious worship” (Shaw and Nicholson 2008, 214). Their origin might have been a bundle of papyroi with a rushing sound (Larkes 1980, 75).

   • 2022, Lionel Scott, Pytheas of Massalia: Texts, Translation, and Commentary (Routledge Classical Translations), Abingdon, Oxon, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN:

     In a world where it was very difficult to look up a particular passage in a papyros roll, citations from other authors were usually from memory; errors of memory were easy to make.

Etymology 2

Noun

papyros

1. Alternative form of papirosa.
   • 1858, John Gadsby, A Trip to Sebastopol, Out and Home, by Way of Vienna, the Danube, Odessa, Constantinople, and Athens. Together with Some Account of Russia and the Russians, […], 2nd edition, London: Gadsby, […], page 51:

     “Perhaps, Sir,” said the poor fellow, “you will accept of a papyros?” “Not I!” said the officer. “I want none of your—Eh? What?” continued he, casting his eye upon the papyros.

     * A papyros is a little tobacco rolled up in thin paper to smoke as a cigar.

   • 1868, H. C. Romanoff, Sketches of the Rites and Customs of the Greco-Russian Church, London, Oxford, Oxon, Cambridge, Cambs.: Rivingtons, page 183:

     He paid so regularly, was so content with his meals, and so careful of his clothes; never had any noisy parties; only now and then a visitor, as quiet and retiring as himself, would call in to drink a glass of tea and smoke a papyros of an evening with her “golden” lodger.

   • 1882, “Notes and Queries”, in David W[endel] Yandell, Theophilus Parvin, editors, The American Practitioner: A Monthly Journal of Medicine and Surgery, volume XXVI, Louisville, Ky.: John P. Morton and Company; Indianapolis, Ind.: Cathcart & Cleland, pages 377–378:

     The reason of this is that in Russia every body smokes, and provision is made accordingly. Save the church, no place is here sacred from the weed. The papyros is no respector of domestic sanctities. […] The silver or gold papyros case is much more indispensable than a fan to a lady mixing in society. To be without cigars is to be careless of one’s reputation. For a guest, lady or gentleman, to decline a papyros, is one of the most serious social offences that can be committed.

Latin

Noun

papȳrōs

1. accusative plural of papȳrus