biscuit

noun bis·cuit \ ˈbis-kət \

|Updated on: 22 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of biscuit

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

5 slang : a hockey puck

To control the biscuit, you've got to win faceoffs.
—Lindsay Berra

—

biscuity

play \ˈbis-kə-tē\ adjective

— 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

See biscuit defined for English-language learners

See biscuit defined for kids

Recent Examples of biscuit from the Web

Output grew quickly, providing the raw material for the soy biscuits packed into soldiers’ K-rations during World War II.

— marc levinson, WSJ, "‘Magic Bean’ Review: A Legume’s World Conquest," 3 June 2018
Cousin Mike Neice is bringing Polston a plate loaded with biscuits and apple butter, potato salad and fried chicken thighs.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "What a blind man gets from the Indy 500: 'That gasoline thunder'," 24 May 2018
Slide the biscuits off the parchment onto a wire rack to cool.

— lisa yockelson, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Strawberry shortcakes are one of the joys of berry season," 14 May 2018
Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles to pastries, pasta, fresh vegetables, fried chicken, roast beef and green chili wontons will be available.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "Celebrate Mother's Day in Louisville at brunch, Churchill Downs & more," 8 May 2018
Liverpool fans will be desperate to see Jurgen Klopp and his men lift the trophy later this month and will pay top dollar to do so, but even these prices - and ticket availability - surely takes the biscuit for many.

— SI.com, "Liverpool Fans Express Anger Over UCL Final Ticket Allocation & Hefty Kiev Hotel Prices," 3 May 2018
Take, for example, the complimentary biscuits atop hoecakes, which are summarily deposited on your table pre-meal.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Paula Deen brings Southern favorites to the Dallas area. Just don't expect a diet plate | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 25 Apr. 2018
The entire breakfast menu is available all day through program with items such as McMuffins, sausage biscuits, pancakes, burritos and parfaits.

— kyle arnold, OrlandoSentinel.com, "McDonald's picks Orlando to test breakfast catering," 22 May 2018
Even the menu rings familiar with the same biscuits, scones and assorted pastries that were offered before.

— justin phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Berkeley’s Elmwood Cafe reopens under new owners as Baker & Commons," 18 May 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.

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.