hardtack

[ hahrd-tak ]
/ ˈhɑrdˌtæk /

noun

a hard, saltless biscuit, formerly much used aboard ships and for army rations.

QUIZZES

FOR POSTERITY’S SAKE, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Are words your bailiwick? Take the latest quiz on the words from July 6 to July 12 to find out.
Question 1 of 7
bailiwick
a creature, variously described as a serpent, lizard, or dragon, said to kill by its breath or look.
place or source of origin.
a person's area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also called pilot biscuit, pilot bread, ship biscuit, ship bread.

Origin of hardtack

First recorded in 1830–40; hard + tack2

Words nearby hardtack

hards, hardscape, hardscrabble, hardship, hardstand, hardtack, hardtail, hardtop, hardwall, hardware, hardware cloth

Definition for ship-bread (2 of 2)

ship biscuit
[ ship bis-kit ]
/ ˈʃɪp ˌbɪs kɪt /

noun

hardtack.
Sometimes ship bread.

Origin of ship biscuit

First recorded in 1790–1800
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ship-bread

British Dictionary definitions for ship-bread

hardtack
/ (ˈhɑːdˌtæk) /

noun

a kind of hard saltless biscuit, formerly eaten esp by sailors as a staple aboard shipAlso called: pilot biscuit, ship's biscuit, sea biscuit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012