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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BISKET, n. The breast; of an ox or cow: the fleshy part of the breast hanging down immediately in front of the fore-legs.Bnff. 1861 W. Boyne To a Robin in Bnffsh. Jnl. (22 Jan.) 2:
You're sodger-like in that red bisket; The colour o't is somewhat tasket.Bnff.2 1934:
The coo loupit the piket weer [wire] palin' an' tore a' her bisket.Edb. 1772 R. Fergusson Sc. Poems (1925) 69:
You crack weel o' your lasses there, Their glancin een and bisket bare.

[For brisket through met. form birskit. For loss of r before s cf. puss (s.v. Purse), cuss, ne.Sc. for purse, curse (see P.L.D. § 143), and biss, Ork. for Birse, q.v. O.Sc. has birsket, birsquet and E. Mid.Eng. (1610) bysket; earliest quot. in D.O.S.T. 1572. Cf. Mod.Fr. brechet, O.Fr. bruschet, breschet. Assigned by some to Celtic (cf. Welsh brysced, Breton brusk, bruched (Un. Eng. Dict.)) and by others to Germanic (cf. O.H.G. brust, O.E. brēost).]

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