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

Examples of herb in a Sentence

a dish seasoned with chopped fresh herbs

rosemary, sage, and other herbs

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to tending to and harvesting from her pecan groves, my grandma and other elder women in the community would mix herbal concoctions at a moment’s notice using herbs, tree leaves, and other tree parts, as well as the aloe vera plants that were ever present on their kitchen windowsill. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

Ask for the basket of dill, basil and other herbs, with cubes of the feta-adjacent Bulgarian cheese called sirene, to build more textured, complex bites wrapped around hunks of taftoon. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

No single-use plastic, and planted roofs with local herbs for minimum watering provide natural insulation from the heat. —Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

This version gets plenty of flavor from herbs and spices. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

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

• herb doctor
• herb Robert
• willow herb

Rhymes for herb

• blurb
• curb
• erb
• kerb
• serb
• verb
• disturb
• perturb
• reverb
• superb

Kids Definition

herb

noun

ˈərb 

also

ˈhərb 

1

: a seed-producing plant that does not develop long-lived woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season

2

: a plant or plant part used for making medicine and seasonings

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