shortbread

S1H4O1R1T1B3R1E1A1D2

noun

A type of biscuit (cookie), popular in Britain, traditionally made from one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour.

Similar
shortbread cookie
OriginEnglish bread ← Middle English bred ← Old English brēad →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounshortbread (countable and uncountable, plural shortbreads)

plural shortbreads

  1. countableuncountableA type of biscuit (cookie), popular in Britain, traditionally made from one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounvery rich thick butter cookie

Similar
shortbread cookie
Broader
butter cookie
Also see
shortcake

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*skertaną
  3. Proto-Germanic*skurtaz
  4. Proto-West Germanic*skurt
  5. Old Englishsċort
  6. Middle Englishschort
  7. Englishshort
  8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰrewh₁-der.?
  9. Proto-Germanic*braudą
  10. Proto-West Germanic*braud
  11. Old Englishbrēad
  12. Middle Englishbred
  13. Englishbread
  14. Englishshortbread

From short (“brittle, of pastry”) + bread.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans brosbrood
  • brosbroodbiscuit
Chinese Cantonese 奶油酥餅 /奶油酥饼
  • 奶油酥餅 /奶油酥饼biscuit
Chinese Mandarin 奶油酥餅 /奶油酥饼
  • 奶油酥餅 /奶油酥饼biscuit
Dutch zandkoekje
  • zandkoekjebiscuit
Finnish pikkuleipä
  • pikkuleipäbiscuit
French sablé
  • sablébiscuit
German Butterkeks
  • Butterkeksbiscuit
Hebrew שורטברד
  • שורטברדbiscuit
Italian frollino
  • frollinobiscuit
Japanese ショートブレッド, サブレー
  • ショートブレッド (shōtobureddo)biscuit
  • サブレー (saburē)biscuit
Korean 쇼트브레드
  • 쇼트브레드 (syoteubeuredeu)biscuit
Polish kruche ciasteczko maślane
  • kruche ciasteczko maślanebiscuit
Russian песочное печенье
  • песочное печенье (pesočnoje pečenʹje)biscuit
Swedish mördegskaka
  • mördegskakabiscuit
Cite this entry
APA

shortbread. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shortbread

MLA

“shortbread.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shortbread. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shortbread,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shortbread.

Source: shortbread on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.