herb
noun
a flowering plant whose stem above ground does not become woody.
herb
1 American
[urb, hurb]
/ ɜrb, hɜrb /
Herb
2
American
[hurb]
/ hɜrb /
noun
herb
British
/ ɜːrb, hɜːb /
noun
-
a seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season; herbaceous plant
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-
any of various usually aromatic plants, such as parsley, rue, and rosemary, that are used in cookery and medicine
-
( as modifier )
a herb garden
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-
a slang term for marijuana
herb
Scientific
/ ûrb /
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of herb
1250–1300; Middle English herbe < Old French erbe, herbe < Latin herba
Explanation
What do food, medicine, and perfume have in common? Well, they all can be created from herbs. An herb is a plant that has a soft rather than a woody stem, and it tends to have a unique taste or smell. There are many kinds of plants, but one that you've likely seen mentioned on a menu or ad for a medical treatment is the herb. Herbs are distinguished from other plants by their stem, which does not become permanent and woody; instead, it stays soft. Many herbs are used in cooking, such as basil and thyme, because they add flavor to foods. Many herbs, like ginseng and chamomile, are used in tea and are believed to be good for your health.
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.
See Examples For:
Tasting notes: Fresh, crisp, with citrus and dried herb flavors on the mid palate, and a clean, elegant finish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
The herb has been used for more than 1,000 years and has traditionally been associated with "blacken hair and nourish essence."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 7, 2026
Blended with cream cheese and cucumber, it becomes a sandwich spread with the flavor profile of a carefully composed herb dressing and the effort level of opening a packet.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
The meal began with a garden herb velouté paired with a hearts of palm salad, followed by an ravioli dish featuring herbs from the White House garden.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
She asked me to make her herb tea and to turn on the radio real soft.
From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles
Herb Alpert walks up a long driveway at his rambling Malibu estate, wincing slightly after having woken up around 3 a.m. with a cramp in his left calf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Pochettino has been parroting “Miracle,” the movie about the 1980 Olympics, and coach Herb Brooks’s message about needing the right players, not necessarily the best ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
As for “The Way of the World,” writer Herb Powell says lovingly, “I can listen to it and just feel my heart chakra just open up.”
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
She faces Republican Herb Morgan, a onetime chief investment officer at financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and Meghann Adams, a Peace and Freedom Party member, who is a school bus driver and union leader.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Herb teas were prescribed to break a slight fever.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
Once the texture is right, I finish with whatever gives the soup its final bit of life: herbs, citrus zest, salt, black pepper, maybe cream.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
She also recommends keeping dried herbs, spices and salt available as, she says, tinned food can be slightly bland.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
The team identified 29 different kinds of phytoliths representing grasses, herbs, and woody plants.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Some brands opt to skip fermentation, which naturally produces alcohol, and instead mix ingredients such as herbs and spices in hot water before distilling the mixture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Doc motioned for us to sit while he showed us how to measure the strength of the herbs and roots that would go into the potions and incense he made.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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.
