Meanings
nounpilot bread (uncountable)
- uncountablehardtack
Synonyms: pilot biscuit, sea biscuit, sea bread, ship bread, ship's biscuit, ship biscuit
Synonyms & antonyms
nounhardtack
More synonyms by meaning
nounvery hard unsalted biscuit or bread; a former ship's staple
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
So named because of its original popularity with seafarers (pilots) as a long-lasting staple food.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
pilot bread. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilot%20bread
MLA
“pilot bread.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilot%20bread. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pilot bread,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilot%20bread.
Source: pilot bread on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.