zwiebacknoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zwieback mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zwieback. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun zwieback?
| 1890 | 0.13 |
| 1900 | 0.12 |
| 1910 | 0.12 |
| 1920 | 0.11 |
| 1930 | 0.11 |
| 1940 | 0.09 |
| 1950 | 0.061 |
| 1960 | 0.046 |
| 1970 | 0.034 |
| 1980 | 0.022 |
| 1990 | 0.019 |
| 2000 | 0.018 |
| 2010 | 0.017 |
How is the noun zwieback pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zwieback come from?
Earliest known use
1890s
The earliest known use of the noun zwieback is in the 1890s.
OED's earliest evidence for zwieback is from 1894, in New York Weekly Tribune.
zwieback is a borrowing from German.
Nearby entries
- zurla, n.1940–
- zurlite, n.1826–
- zurna, n.1870–
- zurr, n.1803–
- zussmanite, n.1965–
- zut, int.1915–
- zuur-veldt, n.1785–
- zuz, n.1688–
- zwanziger, n.1828–
- Zweig, n.1973–
- zwieback, n.1894–
- zwieselite, n.1861–
- Zwinglian, n. & adj.1532–
- Zwinglianism, n.1581–
- Zwinglianist, n.1673–1759
- zwischenzug, n.1941–
- zwitterion, n.1906–
- zwitterionic, adj.1946–
- Zydeco, n.1949–
- zygadite, n.1861–
- zygaena, n.1717–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1894–A (sweet) rusk or biscuit made by baking a small loaf, and then toasting slices until they are dry and crisp.
- 1894
These Zweiback will keep for a long time if put in a dry place.
New York Weekly Tribune 14 March 5/3 - 1907
On the seventh day, some well~cooked rice and a few softened Zwieback are allowed.
Practitioner April 552 - 1925
In Germany and Austria..Zwieback comprises a vast variety of small crunchy biscuity cakes.
British Weekly 22 October 127/1 - 1949
The game of ‘I give you something and you give me something’ is not necessarily cross-sexed when it is based on bottles and zwieback.
M. Mead, Male & Female xiii. 273 - 1957
The various biscuits, wafers, pretzels, zwiebacks.
V. Nabokov, Pnin v. 132 - 1978
Hope gave Nicky a zwieback and he stopped crying.
J. Irving, World according to Garp xv. 287
- cracknelc1440–A light, crisp kind of biscuit, of a curved or hollowed shape. Cf. crackling, n. 4.
- dorcakea1500A kind of cracknel.
- hard breada1500–(As a mass noun) any of various types of hard, dry biscuit; spec. (a) oatcakes; (b) Newfoundland thick, oval-shaped biscuits baked without salt and…
- crackling1598–= cracknel, n. Now dialect.
- Naples biscuit1650–A kind of biscuit flavoured with rose water; a piece of this; also in extended use. Also Naples cake. Now historical.
- gingerbread man1686–a. A man who sells gingerbread (now chiefly historical); b. a gingerbread biscuit shaped like a person (now the usual sense).
- chocolate biscuit1702–
- biscotin1723–A kind of sweet biscuit, typically made from a mixture of flour, sugar, egg whites, and marmalade which is boiled before being baked. Also more…
- sponge biscuit1736–A flour-biscuit of a similar composition to sponge cake.
- gingerbread letter1740–A biscuit made of gingerbread and shaped like a letter of the alphabet, formerly used to help children learn to read.
- maple biscuita1753(Perhaps) a biscuit or sweetmeat made with maple sugar.
- butter biscuit1758–A plain, crisp, sweet biscuit made with butter.
- nut1775–A small rounded biscuit or cake. Chiefly as the second element in compounds, as doughnut, ginger nut, spice nut, etc.
- Oliver biscuit1786–1853A thin unsweetened biscuit; = Bath Oliver, n.
- funeral biscuit1790–A biscuit served at a wake or funeral.
- rock biscuit?1790–A type of hard biscuit.
- ratafia1801–A kind of cake or biscuit flavoured with ratafia essence.
- finger biscuit1812–With the sense ‘resembling a finger in shape’, as finger biscuit, finger muffin, etc.
- Savoy drop1816–89attributive. Designating sponge cakes or biscuits of a type associated with, or supposedly… A small round sponge biscuit, made in a similar…
- butter bake1817–A sweet biscuit made with butter.
- lady's finger1818–A type of elongated finger-shaped cake or biscuit; a sponge-finger.
- snap1819–Scottish and northern dialect. A small, usually round, cake or biscuit of crisp gingerbread; a ginger-snap.
- cheese biscuit1827–A savoury biscuit flavoured with cheese or eaten with cheese.
- Abernethy1830–More fully Abernethy biscuit. A hard biscuit flavoured with caraway seeds.
- pretzel1831–A usually salted thin length of bread, characteristically cooked in the shape of a knot; (now usually) a small, crisp version of this, typically…
- wine-biscuit1834–A small light biscuit served with wine.
- gingersnap1838–A thin brittle ginger-flavoured biscuit.
- captain's biscuit1843–A hard variety of fancy biscuit.
- lebkuchen1847–As a mass noun: a type of biscuit with a cakelike texture, typically glazed or coated and containing spices and honey. Also as a count noun: a…
- beaten biscuit1854–A hard and dense savoury biscuit (biscuit, n. A.I.2), made by beating the dough extremely thoroughly. Also as a mass noun: such biscuits as a…
- simnel1854–In Jersey: a kind of thin biscuit made from fine wheat flour and water.
- sugar cookie1854–A type of sweet biscuit made from a simple dough which is often rolled out and cut into decorative shapes before baking.
- peppernut1862–A small, round, sweet biscuit flavoured with spices such as ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, etc., typically eaten during the Christmas…
- McClellan pie1863–64U.S. Army slang. McClellan pie n. also McClellan's pie a piece of hard biscuit of a kind issued to troops under McClellan's command during the…
- Savoy ring1866attributive. Designating sponge cakes or biscuits of a type associated with, or supposedly… A small, ring-shaped sponge biscuit, made in a similar…
- Brown George1867–A hard, coarse biscuit.
- digestive1876–spec. Designating a type of wholemeal biscuit. Also elliptical.
- Osborne1876–In full Osborne biscuit. A type of sweetish plain biscuit.
- animal cracker1878–A small sweet biscuit made in the shape of an animal (chiefly in plural).
- Bath Oliver1878–An unsweetened biscuit said to have been invented by William Oliver (1695–1764), a physician of Bath; formerly simply Oliver.
- marie1878–More fully marie biscuit. A type of plain sweet biscuit.
- butter cookie1879–A plain, crisp biscuit whose chief ingredients are butter, flour, and sugar.
- stage plank1879–U.S. A flat, rectangular gingerbread cake or biscuit, often with icing.
- chocolate finger1880–A long, thin chocolate-covered (or -filled) biscuit or item of confectionery; cf. finger biscuit at finger, n. compounds C.1b.i.
- boer biscuit1882–(A piece of) rusk or hard biscuit; esp. a rustic, rectangular oven-dried bun typically served with coffee, into which it is traditionally dipped; = bo…
- charcoal biscuit1885–A biscuit containing wood-charcoal as an anti-fermentative, absorbent, or deodorizer.
- biscotti1886–A long, thin, hard (usually twice-baked) biscuit, typically served as an accompaniment to a hot drink, into which it is dipped.
- empire biscuit1886–A type of sandwich biscuit consisting of two round pieces of shortcake with a jam filling, topped with icing and (typically) a glacé cherry.
- fairing1888–A small gingerbread biscuit; a ginger nut. In early use: spec. one sold at a fair (cf. sense 1). Now usually in Cornish fairing.
- almond slice1889–a. A slice of any of various cakes or tarts made with almonds or almond paste, later esp. one similar to a Bakewell tart (see Bakewell, n. I.3); b. a…
- Russian teacake1889–A type of cookie or biscuit with a rich, crumbly texture similar to shortbread, typically containing chopped nuts and rolled in powdered sugar…
- snickerdoodle1889–A type of soft, sweet biscuit, typically sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
- pfeffernuss1891–A small, round, sweet biscuit flavoured with spices such as ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, etc., and typically eaten during the Christmas…
- zwieback1894–A (sweet) rusk or biscuit made by baking a small loaf, and then toasting slices until they are dry and crisp.
- Nice1895–More fully Nice biscuit. A thin, sweet biscuit containing coconut and sprinkled with sugar.
- Garibaldi biscuit1896–In full Garibaldi biscuit. A sandwich biscuit containing a paste of currants.
- Oswegoc1900–= Oswego biscuit n. at sense I.3b. Now rare.
- squashed fly1900–= Garibaldi, n. 3.
- sandwich biscuit1901–= sandwich cookie, n.
- bizcochito1902–In New Mexico (originally among Hispanic communities): a crisp, crumbly biscuit, made with lard, flavoured with anise, and dusted with cinnamon…
- spritz cookie1903–A type of light buttery biscuit, made by forcing the dough through a cookie press, piping bag, or similar implement to form various shapes.
- amaretto1905–Usually in plural. An Italian biscuit made with almonds or crushed apricot kernels; a macaroon. Also as a modifier in amaretti biscuit.
- boerebeskuit1905–(A piece of) rusk or hard biscuit; esp. a rustic, rectangular oven-dried bun typically served with coffee, into which it is traditionally dipped; = bo…
- Romary1905–Usually more fully Romary biscuit. A kind of thin water biscuit, frequently served with cheese.
- sandwich cookie1905–A sweet snack consisting of two biscuit layers held together by a layer of chocolate, cream, jam, or other filling.
- petit beurre1906–A sweet French butter biscuit; (also) such biscuits collectively.
- Oswego biscuit1907–A type of biscuit originally made with Oswego flour.
- Gypsy Cream1908–a. An ointment intended to treat minor skin irritation caused by contact with the hairs of the gypsy moth larva (obsolete rare); b. (chiefly British)…
- soetkoekie1910–A traditional South African spiced biscuit.
- Oreo1912–Originally U.S. A proprietary name for: a type of black chocolate sandwich biscuit filled with a white vanilla cream. Also frequently in Oreo cookie.
- custard cream1916–a. = custard, n. 1c; b. chiefly British a type of sweet sandwich biscuit with a vanilla-flavoured cream filling.
- Anzac biscuit1920–A kind of biscuit made from rolled oats, flour, butter and sugar, and now typically also containing desiccated coconut.
- spritz1922–Also with capital initial. Short for spritz cookie, n.
- Anzac1923–Chiefly Australian and New Zealand = Anzac biscuit, n. Also with lower-case initial.
- Girl Scout cookie1923–A biscuit of any of the various kinds sold by the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. as a means of fund-raising.
- campfire cookie1924–a. A cookie or biscuit cooked over or eaten around a campfire; b. a soft chewy cookie or biscuit having the flavours and textures of a s'more (s'more…
- sweet biscuit1929–A biscuit flavoured with sugar.
- langue de chat1931–A thin, crisp, finger-shaped biscuit; (also) a long thin piece of chocolate.
- Bourbon biscuit1932–A chocolate-flavoured biscuit with a chocolate cream filling.
- Afghan1934–New Zealand. = Afghan biscuit, n.
- Afghan biscuit1934–A type of chocolate biscuit, typically topped with cocoa icing and half a walnut.
- flapjack1935–A sweet dense baked item made from rolled oats and typically sugar, golden syrup, and melted butter, usually served in rectangles.
- Florentine1936–(a) A variety of almond cake. (b) A thin biscuit coated on one side with chocolate, and consisting chiefly of pieces of flaked nuts and preserved…
- A sweet biscuit containing chocolate chips.
- choc chip cookie1940–= chocolate chip cookie, n.
- Toll House cookie1940–The proprietary name of a kind of a biscuit containing chocolate chips.
- tuile1943–As tuile n. A thin curved biscuit, usually made with almonds. Also attributive and with defining addition.
- pizzelle1949–Chiefly U.S. A crisp, waffle-like sweet biscuit which is cooked between two hinged iron plates and is typically served on festive occasions.
- black and white1967–U.S. A large round biscuit with a soft, cakelike texture, having white (usually vanilla-flavoured) icing on one half and chocolate icing on the…
- Romany Cream1970–A crunchy, oval-shaped, chocolate and coconut sandwich biscuit filled with a smooth chocolate cream. Cf. Gypsy Cream, n. (b).
- Jaffa cake1976–A sponge biscuit with an orange-flavoured jelly filling and chocolate topping.
- papri1978–A small, thin, crisp wheat biscuit. Also as postmodifier.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
Also zwei-. Plural zwieback(s).Frequency
zwieback typically occurs about 0.02 times per million words in modern written English.
zwieback is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zwieback, n., 1890–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 0.13 |
| 1900 | 0.12 |
| 1910 | 0.12 |
| 1920 | 0.11 |
| 1930 | 0.11 |
| 1940 | 0.09 |
| 1950 | 0.061 |
| 1960 | 0.046 |
| 1970 | 0.034 |
| 1980 | 0.022 |
| 1990 | 0.019 |
| 2000 | 0.018 |
| 2010 | 0.017 |