biscuit

biscuit — 名詞

1. in British English, a thin baked snack — round or square, hard, and usually swee

1.名詞A1
釋義

餅乾

英式英文中乾硬甜味的烘焙小點

in British English, a thin baked snack — round or square, hard, and usually sweet — that you eat with tea or coffee or as a small treat.

例句

Grandma keeps chocolate biscuits in a tin on the kitchen counter.

奶奶在廚房檯面上放了一個鐵盒，裡面裝著巧克力餅乾。

typical collocation: chocolate biscuit

Dilnoza dipped her biscuit into a cup of hot tea before eating it.

Dilnoza 把餅乾沾進熱茶裡再吃。

common collocation: dip a biscuit in tea

同義詞
  • cookie

    American English equivalent for sweet versions

  • cracker

    savoury, plain, often eaten with cheese

  • wafer

    very thin, light and crispy biscuit

用法筆記

British speakers use 'biscuit' for both crunchy sweet items (what Americans call cookies) and plainer dry ones eaten with cheese. Distinguish from sense 2: in the US, 'biscuit' is a soft savoury bread, not a sweet snack.

常見錯誤

❌I baked some warm soft biscuits with butter for breakfast.' (UK reading)
✅I baked some warm scones with butter for breakfast.
💡UK biscuits are hard and dry, not soft like a US biscuit.
❌She ate a biscuit cake at the wedding.
✅She ate a slice of cake at the wedding.
💡a biscuit is itself a small cake, not a topping or layer of one.

2. in American English, a small soft roll of bread leavened with baking powder, ser

2.名詞B1
釋義

比司吉

美式英文中熱呼呼的鹹味小麵包

in American English, a small soft roll of bread leavened with baking powder, served warm at breakfast or with savoury meals such as fried chicken and gravy.

例句

Aunt Rosa pulled a tray of golden biscuits from the oven.

Rosa 阿姨從烤箱裡端出一盤金黃色的比司吉。

typical scene: warm biscuits from the oven

The diner serves fried chicken with biscuits and gravy every Sunday.

這家餐館每週日都供應炸雞配比司吉淋肉汁。

set phrase: biscuits and gravy

同義詞
  • scone

    British equivalent — slightly sweeter and denser

  • roll

    more general term for any small bread loaf

用法筆記

Almost always American English — usually plural. Distinguish from sense 1: a US biscuit is soft, savoury, and often eaten warm with butter or gravy, while a UK biscuit is hard, dry, and usually sweet.

常見錯誤

❌I dunked the warm fluffy biscuit into my tea.
✅I dunked the digestive biscuit into my tea.
💡soft American biscuits would fall apart; only hard British biscuits are dunked.
❌The chef baked sweet biscuits with chocolate chips for breakfast.' (US reading)
✅The chef baked sweet muffins with chocolate chips for breakfast.
💡US biscuits are savoury, not sweet.

3. in pottery making, clay that has been baked once in the oven but has not yet had

3.名詞C2
釋義

素胚

陶器初燒後尚未上釉的階段

in pottery making, clay that has been baked once in the oven but has not yet had a shiny coating added — for example, a plain bowl that still feels rough to the touch.

例句

The studio shelf was lined with white biscuit waiting for glaze.

工作室的架上擺滿了等待上釉的白色素胚。

typical scene: biscuit on shelf before glazing

Esme carefully sanded the biscuit before painting a blue pattern on it.

Esme 仔細打磨素胚，再在上面畫上藍色花紋。

process: sand the biscuit

同義詞
  • bisque

    more common technical term for the same state

  • biscuit ware

    fuller noun phrase often used in pottery contexts

反義詞
  • glazeware

    pottery already coated with a shiny glass-like layer

用法筆記

Specialist ceramics term, mostly uncountable. Often used in fixed phrases such as 'in biscuit' (still unglazed) and 'biscuit ware'. Do not confuse with sense 1 or 2 — context (a kiln, glaze, pottery studio) usually makes the meaning clear.

常見錯誤

❌The vase was made of biscuits and clay.
✅The vase was still in biscuit before glazing.
💡this sense is uncountable and refers to a state, not separate objects.

4. a slang word for the small black rubber disc that ice hockey players hit across

4.名詞C2
釋義

冰球

冰上曲棍球員擊打的橡膠圓盤俗稱

a slang word for the small black rubber disc that ice hockey players hit across the ice with their sticks.

例句

The commentator shouted that the biscuit was now in the basket.

球評大喊冰球已經進門得分了。

famous hockey phrase: biscuit in the basket (= goal)

Coach Davis told the players to keep the biscuit on the ice.

Davis 教練要球員把冰球控制在冰面上。

tactical advice: keep the biscuit on the ice

同義詞
  • puck

    the standard, neutral term

  • rubber

    another informal hockey term for the puck

用法筆記

Informal hockey slang, mainly heard from commentators, coaches, and fans rather than in formal sports writing. The standard term is 'puck'.

常見錯誤

❌The judge studied the biscuit before announcing the score.' (figure skating)
✅The judge studied the routine before announcing the score.
💡this slang only fits ice hockey, not other ice sports.