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

The Immune System Gets a Boost Chicken noodle soup can be prepared with a variety of healthy ingredients, such as vegetables, herbs, and fresh spices. —Joy Emeh, Health, 4 Dec. 2025

Create homemade chili pastes or hot sauces using fresh peppers, vinegar, lime juice, and salt-free herbs. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 4 Dec. 2025

Then there's the Chicken Caesar Wrap (Chicken, parmesan, Caesar dressing, mini croutons, lettuce, tomato and mayo tucked into a garlic and herb wrap. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025

Over time, the stew evolved to an unctuous base made of rockfish, herbs, potatoes and tomatoes combined with fish stock, ground with a food mill and strained. —Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

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