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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

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

In the kitchen, Kai rolls out dough for buckwheat brioche bread paired with herb butter.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

AGZ contains the herb ashwagandha along with magnesium, the spice saffron and more than a dozen other ingredients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

Although classified botanically as a vegetable, garlic is commonly used as both an herb and a spice.

From Science Daily • Dec. 8, 2025

She must have a certain type of herb that was not in her kit.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

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