The often-savory quick bread that is common in the US, similar to a scone (UK). For the sweet dessert or snack, use "cookie". For digestive biscuits, use "digestive-biscuits".
A biscuit is a quick bread that is common in the US and parts of Canada. (For UK biscuits, see cookies.)
From the Wikipedia article:
In the United States and some parts of English Canada, a "biscuit" is a savoury quick bread, somewhat similar to a scone, though sugar is not used in the dough. Leavening is achieved through the use of baking powder or when using buttermilk baking soda. Biscuits are usually referred to as either "baking powder biscuits" or "buttermilk biscuits" if buttermilk is used rather than milk as a liquid. A Southern regional variation using the term "beaten biscuit" (or in New England "sea biscuit") is closer to hardtack than soft dough biscuits.
What's called a biscuit in the UK is usually called a cookie in the US.
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