Definition of herb in English:

noun

• 1Any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, or perfume.

  ‘bundles of dried herbs’

  [as modifier] ‘a herb garden’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Rosemary, the herb of remembrance, flavors holiday food and decorations.’
  • ‘As a medicinal herb, lilies were said to treat burns, snakebite and even leprosy.’
  • ‘You can take time to select chocolate or apple mint, lemon basil, and pungent garlic from an herb garden.’
  • ‘I also find the green leaves of ivy, herbs and other plants are beautiful as well.’
  • ‘Consider planting themed gardens in them such as all blue flowers or Italian seasoning herbs.’
  • ‘You can plant the herbs in the garden corners and at the very front for easy access.’
  • ‘Fresh chamomile can be used in wreaths and bouquets of flowers and herbs.’
  • ‘One of them is fenugreek seed extract, a traditional herb medicine for treating diabetes.’
  • ‘But they take care of their herb gardens and flower gardens themselves.’
  • ‘Early March is the ideal time to start many slow-growing flower and herb seeds for this summer's garden.’
  • ‘This is just a small selection of the many herbs that are heat-tolerant; in the herb garden dry doesn't mean dreary.’
  • ‘This article explains how to start an indoor herb garden from plants or seed and how to properly care for it.’
  • ‘For a couple of herbs, coriander and cilantro sure do cause a lot of confusion.’
  • ‘He makes his sirloin with an herb butter of parsley, tarragon, marjoram, basil, and sage.’
  • ‘The formal herb garden, crammed with medicinal and culinary plants, is the largest in Ireland.’
  • ‘Coriander is an ephemeral plant which only lasts two to three months, so you need to regularly plant new coriander in your herb garden.’
  • ‘Making a lovely spreading mound of dark green leaves, lemon thyme is a fine addition to the herb garden.’
  • ‘Secluded from the street, you dine beside an herb garden, flowers and a fountain.’
  • ‘Whether you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs or prefer to use them for their medicinal qualities, an herb garden can be a fun, satisfying hobby.’
  • ‘There have long been local specialities of wines flavoured with herbs, spices, flowers, or nuts.’

  Synonyms

  flavouring, salt and pepper, herbs, spices, condiments, dressing, relish

  View synonyms

• 2Botany
  Any seed-bearing plant which does not have a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering.

  ‘the banana plant is the world's largest herb’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The opium poppy is an annual herb with an erect stem, having a solitary flower that is white, red, or purplish, depending on the cultivar.’
  • ‘There will also be plants grown especially for the vegetable plot as well as herbs, herbaceous perennials and shrubs.’
  • ‘A higher mesophyll resistance in woody plants than in herbs, and in sclerophylls than in mesophytes, has been reported.’
  • ‘Many vascular epiphytes share the understorey environment with terrestrial herbs, shrubs and tree seedlings.’
  • ‘The crops most suited to water culture include lettuce and some herbs such as watercress and mint.’