Definition

Noun: 1. A type of very hard, unsalted biscuit or bread: This refers to a durable, dry food product historically used as a long-lasting staple, especially on ships during long voyages. It is known for its extreme hardness and lack of salt, which helped prevent spoilage.

Usage Examples

• The sailors survived on pilot bread and salted meat for months.
• Before modern preservatives, pilot bread was essential for explorers.
• You need to soak pilot bread in soup or coffee to make it edible.

Advanced Usage

• As a historical staple: The term is often used in historical or survival contexts to describe a primary, non-perishable food source.
  • The museum exhibit featured pilot bread from a 19th-century whaling ship.

Variants and Related Words

• Hardtack (noun): A direct synonym for pilot bread.
• Ship's biscuit (noun): Another common term for the same product.
• Sea biscuit (noun): A variant name emphasizing its maritime use.

Synonyms

• Hardtack
• Ship's biscuit
• Sea biscuit

Related Idioms

• To be as hard as pilot bread: Used figuratively to describe something extremely tough or unyielding.
  • After days in the sun, the clay was as hard as pilot bread.

Noun

1. very hard unsalted biscuit or bread; a former ship's staple