biscuit

noun

bis·​cuit ˈbi-skət How to pronounce biscuit (audio)
plural biscuits also biscuit
1
a
US : a small quick bread made from dough that has been rolled out and cut or dropped from a spoon
While both types of biscuit use the same handful of ingredients and are quick to prepare, drop biscuits don't rely on any of the finicky steps rolled biscuits require to get them just right.—Sandra Wu
b
British : cookie
The children were divided into groups of five seated round a table and each one was given a chocolate biscuit.—H. Colin Davis
2
: earthenware or porcelain after the first firing and before glazing
biscuit china

called also bisque

3
a
: a light grayish-yellowish brown
b
: a grayish yellow
4
woodworking : a small, flat oval of compressed wood that is glued into slots cut into the sides of two boards which are to be joined in order to increase the strength of the resulting bond
Have several clamps at the ready; then add glue to the biscuits, push them into the maple slots, and clamp the maple in place. The dry, compressed biscuits swell once glue is applied, so you have to work quickly.—Mike McClintock
compare tenon entry 1
5
slang : a hockey puck
To control the biscuit, you've got to win faceoffs.—Lindsay Berra
biscuity
ˈbi-skə-tē How to pronounce biscuit (audio)
adjective

see also take the biscuit

Did you know?

Long ago it was often a problem to keep food from spoiling, especially on long journeys. One way to preserve flat loaves of bread was to bake them a second time in order to dry them out. In early French, this bread was called pain bescuit or “bread twice-cooked.” Later the term was shortened to bescuit. The idea of being “twice–cooked” was lost as the term was used for any crisp flat bread or for bread made with baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. The word was borrowed into Middle English as bisquite, but was later spelled biscuit on the model of the French spelling.

Examples of biscuit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zoom in: In North Carolina — home of barbecue and Krispy Kreme doughnuts and fried chicken and biscuits — a growing apathy for heavier fare could ultimately affect the food industry. —Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 2 Feb. 2025 Cat owners and cat lovers on Instagram and TikTok have long recognized cats' impeccable dough-working skills − specifically, how the animals press their paws into their favorite soft surfaces, appearing to knead bread or biscuits. —Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025 In This Article Tupperware Kitchen Tools Themed Decor China Plates Silver Butter Dishes Mismatched Appliances A Southern grandmother’s kitchen is a special place of sweet memories (and many batches of biscuits and cookies) made. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2025 Or, for those without a sweet tooth, opt for a decadent cheeseboard featuring creamy Baron Bigod, extra-mature Black Bomber, tangy Roquefort, and fresh Rosary Ash—coupled with celery ribbons, red wine grapes, fig chutney, and Miller’s cheese biscuits. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for biscuit 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bisquite, from Anglo-French besquit, from (pain) besquit twice-cooked bread

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of biscuit was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing biscuit

Dictionary Entries Near biscuit

biscotto

biscuit

biscuit beetle

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Biscuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biscuit. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

biscuit

noun
bis·​cuit ˈbis-kət How to pronounce biscuit (audio)
plural biscuits also biscuit
1
: a crisp flat baked product
especially, British : cracker sense 2
2
: a small light bread made with baking powder or baking soda
Etymology

Middle English bisquite "biscuit," from early French bescuit (same meaning), from earlier pain bescuit "bread twice-cooked"

Word Origin
Long ago it was often a great problem to keep food from spoiling, especially on long journeys. One way to preserve the flat loaves of bread made then was to bake them a second time in order to dry them out. In early French, this bread was known as pain bescuit or "bread twice-cooked." Later the term came to be shortened to just bescuit. The idea of being "twice-cooked" was lost as the term was used for any crisp, dry, flat bread product or for a type of bread made with baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. The word was borrowed into Middle English as bisquite but later came to be spelled biscuit on the model of the French spelling.

Medical Definition

biscuit

noun
bis·​cuit ˈbis-kət How to pronounce biscuit (audio)
: porcelain after the first firing and before glazing

More from Merriam-Webster on biscuit

Nglish: Translation of biscuit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of biscuit for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about biscuit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cassowary positioning its body to the left standing on a patch of grass before two trees and the ocean in the background
Name That Animal MegaQuiz A creature feature for fans of fauna