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

For dinner, Federico and his staff were offering herb crusted rack of lamb, a pork chop with butter, sage and mortadella, or pan-seared halibut. —Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026

In the supermarket, potatoes are usually found with onions and garlic near the other produce but not stored in a cooler-type setting like lettuces and other leafy greens and fresh herbs. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026

Serve topped with herbs and with your choice of accompaniment. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

Warm broth and tea with honey can be soothing, while compounds in honey, pineapple, and certain herbs may help combat inflammation. —Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 31 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