Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

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.

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

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

Other Word Forms

  • herbless adjective
  • herblike adjective

Etymology

Origin of herb

1250–1300; Middle English herbe < Old French erbe, herbe < Latin herba

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.

Depending on the season, fields are filled with a variety of greens, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers, while herbs like basil, black sage, rosemary and marjoram perfume the gardens.

From Los Angeles Times

Herbs: Specifically, thyme, tarragon and rosemary — aromatic herbs that go well in almost any savory dish.

From Salon

There were beets and potatoes sprinkled with herbs and cheese, fresh bread, and milk.

From Literature

The dried herbs toast just enough to release their oils, turning the air warm and aromatic.

From Salon

The mixture is seasoned with herbs, like thyme and parsley, and poured into a casserole dish.

From Salon

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.