biscuit
biscuit Lexical Profile
biscuit Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A small, flat, crisp baked good, which can be sweet or savory.
"She enjoyed a chocolate biscuit with her afternoon cup of tea."
American A small, soft, leavened quick bread, typically savory and often served warm with gravy or butter.
"For breakfast, he ordered a plate of warm biscuits smothered in sausage gravy."
Unglazed pottery that has been fired once; also referred to as bisque.
"The sculptor carefully inspected the biscuit before applying the colorful, glassy glaze."
Word Nuance & Usage
A major source of transatlantic confusion: in British English, a 'biscuit' is a crisp, flat, sweet or savory baked good (equivalent to a US 'cookie' or 'cracker'), whereas in American English, it is a soft, leavened quick bread akin to a British scone.
• Rhymes for biscuit
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old French 'bescuit' (twice baked), derived from Latin 'bis' (twice) and 'coquere' (to cook). Originally baked twice to remain hard and non-perishable for long journeys.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.