n. pl. bis·cuits 1. A small cake of shortened bread leavened with baking powder or soda. 2. Chiefly British a. A thin, crisp cracker. b. A cookie. 3. A hard, dry cracker given to dogs as a treat or dietary supplement. 4. A thin, often oblong, waferlike piece of wood, glued into slots to connect larger pieces of wood in a joint. 5. A pale brown. 6. pl. biscuit Clay that has been fired once but not glazed. Also called bisque2. [Middle English bisquit, from Old French biscuit, from Medieval Latin bis coctus : Latin bis, twice; see dwo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin coctus, past participle of coquere, to cook; see pekw- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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