biscuit

noun

bis·cuit | \ ˈbi-skət

plural biscuits also biscuit

Definition of biscuit

1a 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

3a : 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

take the biscuit

British, informal

: to win the prize : to rank first —often used to describe something that is extremely surprising, annoying, etc. When he was quite sure that the narrative had ended he laughed noiselessly for fully half a minute. Then he said: "Well! … That takes the biscuit!" [=(US) takes the cake]— James Joyce

Other Words from biscuit Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about biscuit

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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

The food: Breakfast, lunch and sweet treats are the name of the game at this downtown staple, where hungry 9-5ers line up for homemade biscuits, hummus bowls and mid-afternoon sugar fixes. — Lindsey Mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Try one of these top 13 best-reviewed Louisville restaurants of 2018," 15 June 2018 After decades of being known as IHOP, or International House of Pancakes, the restaurant is making a big change, flipping the p into a b. But what will the b stand for -- breakfast, biscuits, maybe even bacon? — Natalie Dreier, ajc, "IHOP to become IHOB, but what does the ‘B’ stand for?," 6 June 2018 Day Two Make your way to the Ashland Food Co-Op (http://ashlandfood.coop) for breakfast, and fight the urge to load up on the biscuits, gravy and breakfast casserole at the hot bar. — Joe Jackson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bard-land on a budget: Experiencing Ashland with 2 people for 2 days on $200," 24 May 2018 One of Banskia's Australian specialties is a housemade version of Iced VoVo biscuits, a sweet cookie-like treat that many Aussies grow up eating. — Sarah Gish, kansascity, "5 things to know about Banksia, downtown KC's Australian bakery, with Sunday brunch | The Kansas City Star," 14 May 2018 People think of soul food as BBQ ribs, macaroni and cheese, buttermilk biscuits, and sweet tea. — Mashama Bailey, Bon Appetit, "I Was Searching for a Cook Who Looked Like Me—Then I Found Edna Lewis," 6 Apr. 2018 Throughout the episode, Joanna sampled fresh juices, biscuits, pancakes, and more. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Joanna Gaines Makes Her First-Ever Pregnant Appearance on Fixer Upper," 28 Mar. 2018 The nation that thumbed its nose at German bombs during the Blitz is crumbling like a soggy biscuit. — Gerard Baker, WSJ, "The Great Brexit Breakdown," 7 Dec. 2018 There are plenty of menu staples like a fried chicken buttermilk biscuit with red pepper jelly and the signature omelet stuffed with Benton’s bacon and pimento cheese. — Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Brunch Places in Atlanta," 21 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'biscuit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.