= ship's biscuit, n.

In extended use with reference to other foodstuffs. Hard dry biscuits, formerly used as rations for sailors; hardtack. Now regional or historical.

A kind of very hard, dry biscuit, typically made from a mixture of flour and water and hardened by rebaking; a piece of this. Cf. ship bread n. at…

Ship's biscuit. Cf. pilot biscuit n. at pilot, n. adj.compounds 2.

broken pieces of biscuit (see quots.).

Originally and chiefly U.S. Hard dry biscuit, typically made only with flour and water, originally for use as rations for sailors and (later)…

a large, hard biscuit or cracker; ship's biscuit.

slang. A flat cake or biscuit; (Nautical) a hard, flat sea biscuit; hard tack. See also Liverpool pantile n. at Liverpool, n. 2c. Now rare.

Nautical (now chiefly historical). a (typically hard) ship's biscuit (see quot. 2007).