■ noun
1》 a stiff material made from the prepared skin of a sheep or goat, formerly used as a writing surface.
2》 (also ~ paper ) stiff translucent paper treated to resemble ~.
3》 informal a diploma or other formal document.
Origin
ME: from OFr. parchemin , from a blend of late L. pergamina 'writing material from Pergamum' and Parthica pellis 'Parthian skin' (a kind of scarlet leather).