herb
noun
ˈərb 
US also and British usually ˈhərb
often attributive
1
botany : a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season
2
: a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities
planted parsley, basil, and rosemary in her herb garden
3
slang : marijuana sense 2
herblike
ˈ(h)ərb-ˌlīk
adjective herby
ˈ(h)ər-bē
adjective 
Example Sentences
a dish seasoned with chopped fresh herbs rosemary, sage, and other herbs
Recent Examples on the Web Most kitchen gardens are informal, with fruit, vegetable and herb plantings that are easily grown from seed or available as starts. 
Helen Purcell Montag, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2022 Weber's, which Teens Grow Greens has owned and operated since 2018, serves as an experiential learning space for students and a store for people to buy flower, herb and vegetable plants — with all proceeds benefiting the group's programs. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2022 The sticks can actually be planted in the ground since they're made out of herb and wildflower seeds—talk about zero waste! Brittney Morgan And Medgina Saint-elien, House Beautiful, 20 Apr. 2022 Brewers have endless possibilities to add almost any kind of fruit, herb or spice to the mix. Ruvani De Silva, Chron, 19 Apr. 2022 Talking about beds: Flower, vegetable and herb plants will soon begin to feel the warm soil. cleveland, 9 May 2022 Top with lemon zest, juice, garlic, and herb mixture. Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Apr. 2022 An orchard with more than 20 types of fruit trees, vegetable and herb gardens and specimen trees complete the grounds. Lauren Beale, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021 Microgreens are baby vegetable and herb plants harvested above the soil just after the first tiny seed leaves sprout, about 10 to 25 days after seeding. BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2021 See More
Helen Purcell Montag, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2022 Weber's, which Teens Grow Greens has owned and operated since 2018, serves as an experiential learning space for students and a store for people to buy flower, herb and vegetable plants — with all proceeds benefiting the group's programs. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2022 The sticks can actually be planted in the ground since they're made out of herb and wildflower seeds—talk about zero waste! Brittney Morgan And Medgina Saint-elien, House Beautiful, 20 Apr. 2022 Brewers have endless possibilities to add almost any kind of fruit, herb or spice to the mix. Ruvani De Silva, Chron, 19 Apr. 2022 Talking about beds: Flower, vegetable and herb plants will soon begin to feel the warm soil. cleveland, 9 May 2022 Top with lemon zest, juice, garlic, and herb mixture. Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Apr. 2022 An orchard with more than 20 types of fruit trees, vegetable and herb gardens and specimen trees complete the grounds. Lauren Beale, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021 Microgreens are baby vegetable and herb plants harvested above the soil just after the first tiny seed leaves sprout, about 10 to 25 days after seeding. BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English herbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin herba
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing herb
Kids Definition
herb
noun
ˈərb
ˈhərb
1
: a plant with soft stems that die down at the end of the growing season
2
: a plant or plant part used in medicine or in seasoning foods
Medical Definition
herb
noun
ˈ(h)ərb
often attributive
1
: a seed plant that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season
2
: a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities
herb
noun
as in spice
a plant or a part of a plant that is used as medicine or to give flavor to food a dish seasoned with chopped fresh herbs rosemary, sage, and other herbs Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- spice
- flavoring
- savory
- seasoning
- condiment
- sauce
- relish