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

This savory sugo is wonderful tossed with pasta and a handful of herbs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I do have some non-negotiables in my stuffing, though: real sausage, fresh herbs, must taste the celery.

Read more on Salon

They also feature a beautiful medley of herbs, namely parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Read more on Salon

And many say they haven't come across the concept of coffees made with ingredients like mushrooms and ashwagandha - a herb some people think helps with stress - before.

Read more on BBC

The “New York” part of the dish comes with the addition of chopped herbs and either poppy seeds or everything-bagel seasoning to the batter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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