A herb is a plant whose leaves are used in cooking to add flavour to food, or as a medicine.
herb in British English
(hɜːb, US English ɜːrb)
noun
1.
a seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season; herbaceous plant
2.
a.
any of various usually aromatic plants, such as parsley, rue, and rosemary, that are used in cookery and medicine
b.
(as modifier)
a herb garden
3. Caribbean a slang term for marijuana
Derived forms
herblike (ˈherbˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French herbe, from Latin herba grass, green plants
herb in American English
(ɜrb; hɜrb)
noun
1.
any seed plant whose stem withers away to the ground after each season's growth, as distinguished from a tree or shrub whose woody stem lives from year to year
2.
any plant used as a medicine, seasoning, or flavoring: mint, thyme, basil, and sage are herbs
3.
vegetative growth; grass
4. Slang
marijuana
Word origin
ME erbe, herbe < OFr < L herba, grass, herbage, herb < IE *gherdha < base *gher- > grass
Examples of 'herb' in a sentence
herb
Put in only flavouring vegetables and herbs.
The Sun (2016)
Chop the herbs and scatter over the top.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Add the fresh herbs and put to one side.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This recipe works with any beans and is great with chilli and lots of fresh herbs.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Mix the herbs and spices in a bowl and sprinkle over the chicken.
The Sun (2016)
The biggest food waste culprits include bagged salad and fresh herbs.
The Sun (2017)
Serve with green vegetables - and add chopped herbs to the sauce for extra flavour.
The Sun (2016)
Help yourself to eggs from the roaming hens, oil harvested from the olive groves and vegetables and herbs from the garden.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Make sure you have a good stash of herbs, spices and oils to allow you to add decent flavour to your recipes.
The Sun (2016)
She also planted herbs and flowers which scented the air.
Christianity Today (2000)
You have got hundreds of flavours within the herb sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The most convenient place to have a herb garden is usually outside the kitchen door.
Stickland, Sue Planning the Organic Herb Garden (1986)
What herbs and aromatic oils do you recommend?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Wash and chop fresh herbs of your choice.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Sprinkle over the herbs and add the milk then mix just enough to bring it together.
The Sun (2013)
Vegetables and herbs are grown organically in the hotel garden.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Place either fresh or dried herbs between some muslin and apply to the affected part.
Westcott, Patsy Alternative Health Care for Women (1991)
Place sauce and herbs in a small pan and simmer until sauce is warmed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The hotel gardens produce herbs and spices.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Plant herbs in some pots and shove utensils in others.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The herb garden and orchard is a haven for butterflies and birds.
The Sun (2011)
The gentle flavour of leeks is easily taken in different directions with soft and aromatic herbs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Stir in the crème fraîche and the chopped herbs.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Season with more soy sauce or salt to taste and add the herbs just before serving.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Sprinkle liberally with the vegetables and herbs.
Conil, Jean & Conil, Christopher (ed) A Passion for Food (1989)
Drizzle the soup with fresh herb oil and serve.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Good winemakers use oak to season their wines in the same way that top chefs use herbs and spices.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These work well as a container for a small olive or bay tree with herbs planted around the bottom.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This stew can be made with stock a variety of meats except lamb and is flavoured with herbs from the garden.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Then combine this mixture with the rice, herbs and soya sauce.
Orton, Christine Eczema Relief - the comprehensive self-help plan (1990)
Sweet chilli, cheese and tomato and herb flavours.
The Sun (2008)
The medicinal qualities of various herbs and flowers are well documented, but many people are reluctant to dine on their favourite blooms.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I was given this country recipe by a woman who has spent much of her long life studying the uses of various herbs and flowers.
Guyton, Anita The Natural Beauty Book - cruelty-free cosmetics to make at home (1991)
In other languages
herb
British English: herb NOUN
A herb is a plant whose leaves are used in cooking to add flavour to food, or as a medicine.
...beautiful, fragrant herbs such as basil and coriander.
American English: herb
Brazilian Portuguese: erva
Chinese: > 香草调味或药用的
European Spanish: hierba
French: herbe
German: Kraut
Italian: erba aromatica
Japanese: ハーブ
Korean: 허브
European Portuguese: erva
Latin American Spanish: hierba
All related terms of 'herb'
herb tea
dried herbs intended to be made into a drink
herb bennet
a Eurasian and N African rosaceous plant, Geum urbanum, with yellow flowers
herb garden
a part of a garden where herbs are grown
herb Gerard
a widely naturalized Eurasian umbelliferous plant, Aegopodium podagraria, with white flowers and creeping underground stems
herb layer
a thickness of some homogeneous substance, such as a stratum or a coating on a surface
herb Paris
a Eurasian woodland plant, Paris quadrifolia, with a whorl of four leaves and a solitary yellow flower: formerly used medicinally: family Trilliaceae
herb Robert
a low-growing N temperate geraniaceous plant, Geranium robertianum, with strongly scented divided leaves and small pink flowers
willow herb
any of a genus ( Epilobium ) of perennial plants of the evening-primrose family, with narrow leaves, whitish or purple flowers, and slender pods filled with plumed seeds, as the fireweed
herb Christopher
any ranunculaceous plant of the genus Actaea , esp A. spicata , which has small white flowers and red or white poisonous berries
herb of grace
any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta , esp R. graveolens , an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant
bennet
a Eurasian and N African rosaceous plant, Geum urbanum, with yellow flowers
wood avens
a Eurasian and N African rosaceous plant, Geum urbanum, with yellow flowers
baneberries
any ranunculaceous plant of the genus Actaea , esp A. spicata , which has small white flowers and red or white poisonous berries
rue
If you rue something that you have done, you are sorry that you did it, because it has had unpleasant results.