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Synonyms

herb

1 American  
[urb, hurb] / ɜrb, hɜrb /

noun

  1. a flowering plant whose stem above ground does not become woody.

  2. such a plant when valued for its medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like.

  3. Slang. Often the herb. marijuana.

  4. Archaic. herbage.

idioms

  1. give it the herbs, to use full power, especially in accelerating a car.

Herb 2 American  
[hurb] / hɜrb /

noun

  1. a male given name, form of Herbert.

herb British  
/ ɜːrb, hɜːb /

noun

  1. a seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season; herbaceous plant

    1. any of various usually aromatic plants, such as parsley, rue, and rosemary, that are used in cookery and medicine

    2. ( as modifier )

      a herb garden

  3. a slang term for marijuana

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
herb Scientific  
/ ûrb /

  1. A flowering plant whose stem does not produce woody tissue and generally dies back at the end of each growing season. Both grasses and forbs are herbs.

Other Word Forms

  • herbless adjective
  • herblike adjective

Etymology

Origin of herb

1250–1300; Middle English herbe < Old French erbe, herbe < Latin herba

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Made from a blend of artichokes, spinach, herbs, spices and Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, the dip is best served alongside tortilla chips or toasted slices of fresh baguette.

From Salon

The window faces south, and I bet it would be a great place to have a little indoor herb garden.

From Literature

There are hammocks, a sand table and raised garden beds with fresh herbs that families can pick, smell and taste.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s from my latest vocabulary lesson. It means shrewd or skillful, though you might be confusing it with the herb used for easing sore teeth and gums.”

From Literature

Instead of tipping an entire tub into a Mediterranean-ish clean-out-the-fridge pasta—a personal favorite for using up olives, tomatoes, red onion, and a handful of slightly wilted herbs—I hold some back.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.