/ ˈbɪskɪt; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] ( BrE ) a small flat dry cake for one person, usually sweet, and baked until crisp :
a packet of chocolate biscuits
a selection of cheese biscuits
—compare cookie
—see also digestive biscuit , dog biscuit
2.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) a soft bread roll, often eaten with gravy
3.
[ U ] a pale yellowish-brown colour
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IDIOMS
- take the biscuit
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French bescuit , based on Latin bis twice + coctus , past participle of coquere to cook (so named because originally biscuits were cooked in a twofold process: first baked and then dried out in a slow oven so that they would keep).