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

• herblike adjective
• herbless 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 service also provides "cooking parcels", which include herbs and spices, as well as a toiletries hamper too.

From BBC

Unlike me, with my sad little balcony lined with wilted pots of herbs, he had proper outdoor space — and a neighbor whose blackberry bush slouched lazily over the fence, heavy with fruit.

From Salon

The smell of herbs and spices wafting through the corridors seems to suggest they are not the only ones who feel this way.

From BBC

He was growing medicinal herbs, but in 2024 he found a plot of land with no electricity.

From BBC

Anything that will be used across multiple recipes — onions, peppers, garlic, carrots, herbs, sweet potatoes, celery — gets chopped, batched, and set aside all at once.

From Salon

Related Words

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