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:
It was walking distance from the subway and had a lovely if nonfunctional fireplace, and when the baby bunnies nested in our herb garden, I thought, Yes.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
The £100m training ground is one of the best in the country - with a herb garden and golf course - but has been seen as part of the problem over the decline in standards.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Lev Sercarz is fond of adding fenugreek, a fiber-rich herb, to hot or cold water to make a particularly bold-tasting infusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
You can get fancy with your butters by making a garlic herb butter or a whipped honey butter to brush the insides and tops of your rolls.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Use an in front of words that start with these sounds: • The h that you can’t hear, as in heir, hour, honor, and herb.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
He was a sharp-witted storyteller, once described by San Francisco columnist Herb Caen as the Bob Hope of the Chinese community, but he never said a word about the investigation to his children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Connecticut alone burns 400 million to 500 million gallons a year, according to Chris Herb, president of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Her challenger is Herb Morgan, a Republican from San Diego who promises a more aggressive approach to the job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Later on, Cohen volunteered to stage a presidential press conference and played “Reunited” by Peaches & Herb.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
The guest speaker was Herb Sandler, the CEO of a giant savings and loan called Golden West Financial Corporation.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“All the herbs from last night were from my garden. All the flowers were from my garden,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
Follow the narrow, winding streets in search of handmade leather goods, silver jewelry, spices and herbs, olive oil and products made from Bodrum tangerines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Remains from herbs and woody plants were also uncommon.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Agricultural produce commonly exported includes mangoes, avocados, herbs and grapes.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
He stuffed the purifying herbs and birch-bast wrapping into the neck of his parka, and looked down at what Renn had made for him in the night.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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