herb

¹

[urb, hurb]

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.

Herb

²

[hurb]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Herbert.

herb

/ 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

2. 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

herb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of herb¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of herb¹

C13: from Old French herbe, from Latin herba grass, green plants

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

The path that led to it was flanked by a garden, now planted with strange herbs of the type a spell-casting soothsayer might need, for professional purposes.

Read more on Literature

The herbs steeped, releasing their piney, slightly peppery fragrance, alongside a spoonful of chicken bouillon, which nudged the sauce firmly into savory territory.

Read more on Salon

In the same way KFC benefited from the mystique around its “11 herbs and spices,” the unknown recipe of Cane’s Sauce is part of the hype.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He plants herbs and fruit trees around it, and keeps a guest book with messages from visitors in dozens of languages.

Read more on Barron's

Outside, the dome was surrounded by a lush garden of wildflowers and herbs and berry bushes.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• flower 
• grass 
• seedling 
• shrub 
• tree 
• vine 
• weed