herbal

¹herb·al

noun \ˈ(h)ər-bəl\

Definition of HERBAL

1

: a book about plants especially with reference to their medicinal properties

2

archaic : herbarium 1

First Known Use of HERBAL

1516

Rhymes with HERBAL

burble, gerbil, verbal

²herbal

adjective

Definition of HERBAL

: of, relating to, utilizing, or made of herbs

First Known Use of HERBAL

1612

herbal

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Watercolour illustration from the Badianus Manuscript, an Aztec herbal in Latin by Juan …—Courtesy of the Vatican Library, Vatican City

Ancient manual of plants used for medicinal purposes. Hundreds or thousands of medicinal plants were known in ancient India, China, and Greece and medieval Europe. In the late 16th century, European herbals began to include plants from the Western Hemisphere. Their accuracy varies widely, but many of the plants in herbals later became sources for drugs (e.g., digitalis).