Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

bitter herb

noun

Definition of bitter herb 

1 : an annual centaury (Centaurium umbellatum) with purplish rose flowers in dense clusters

2 : turtlehead

3 : a salad usually of horseradish and sometimes supplemented by cos lettuce eaten during the seder of Passover as maror with bitter herbs they shall eat it — Exodus 12:8 (Authorized Version)

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about bitter herb

Share bitter herb

Statistics for bitter herb

Look-up Popularity

Comments on bitter herb

What made you want to look up bitter herb? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

perennial

living or existing for a long time

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • frosted-autumn-leaves
  • Which is a synonym of yahoo?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games