a seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season; herbaceous plant
any of various usually aromatic plants, such as parsley, rue, and rosemary, that are used in cookery and medicine
( as modifier )
a herb garden
a slang term for marijuana
1250–1300; Middle English herbe < Old French erbe, herbe < Latin herba
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tasting notes: Fresh, crisp, with citrus and dried herb flavors on the mid palate, and a clean, elegant finish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 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
They are home to rare and threatened species, such as the bluebell, the herb Paris, the barbastelle bat and the red-listed and locally declining marsh tit.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The herb has been used for more than 1,000 years and has traditionally been associated with "blacken hair and nourish essence."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 7, 2026
And even though I could hardly think, I knew the herb: comfrey.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
As for “The Way of the World,” writer Herb Powell says lovingly, “I can listen to it and just feel my heart chakra just open up.”
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
She faces Republican Herb Morgan, a onetime chief investment officer at financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and Meghann Adams, a Peace and Freedom Party member, who is a school bus driver and union leader.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
As the late economist Herb Stein famously observed, if something can’t go on forever, it will stop.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 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
Herb was relieved to see his niece and nephew this morning, and glad they were okay—but he worries about his sister and brother-in-law.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
One reason that makes it so challenging is that there is still no confirmed source, leaving Americans confused about whether to eat any leafy greens or herbs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Experts also advise people avoid certain foods such as fresh uncooked berries and herbs, unpeeled fruit and salad items.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
No herbs have been linked to the current outbreak, but if you’re worried, cook with them rather than eating them raw, experts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Previous outbreaks have been linked to raspberries, snow peas and fresh herbs, among other produce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
They were bushy herbs with purple, daisylike flowers, growing as high as her knee.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
