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• herb
  herb

  noun

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

  noun

  a male given name, form of Herbert.

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.

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• herbless
  adjective
• herblike
  adjective

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

As the late economist Herb Stein famously observed, if something can’t go on forever, it will stop.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The horse was partially owned by legendary record producer Jerry Moss, the M along with Herb Alpert in A&M records.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

We’re reminded of the late economist Herb Stein’s quip that if something can’t continue, it won’t.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

“It looks like the company’s seemingly blatant attempts at counterfeiting patented weight-loss drugs via compounding finally went too far,” said On the Street Substack author Herb Greenberg.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

Growing up, she’d worked at a grocery store in West Baltimore owned by an older black couple, Herb and Puddin Johnson.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Related Words

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