thyme
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thyme
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin thymum < Greek thýmon
Explanation
Thyme is a plant that's used for cooking and smells great too. If you're an aspiring chef, you're probably very familiar with herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Thyme is a common ingredient in many culinary traditions, including French and Middle Eastern food. In ancient Greece, thyme was believed to inspire courage, and it was commonly burned as incense and used in ritual baths. Before antibiotics were discovered, thyme oil was often used as an antiseptic (and the germ-killing mouthwash Listerine still includes thyme in its ingredients). The root of thyme means "rise in a cloud," a possible reference to its strong scent.
Vocabulary lists containing thyme
Green
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2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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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.
Thyme extract is often described as a powerful natural remedy because of its wide range of health effects.
From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026
Kiké Hernández’s first day back as a Los Angeles resident, after nearly three years that felt like three weeks, began with a visit to Olive & Thyme in Toluca Lake for breakfast.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023
R-A-G Thyme Gardening charges $50 an hour per worker, and sends a minimum of two gardeners for a minimum of two hours to a property.
From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2023
The airline was rescued last year by Thyme Opco, a company linked to the U.S. hedge fund Cyrus Capital.
From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2023
Burying-grounds, Box in, 94; Dogwood in, 155; Thyme in, 303; Spurge in, 434.
From Old-Time Gardens Newly Set Forth by Earle, Alice Morse
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.
