herbaceous

adjective

her·​ba·​ceous ˌ(h)ər-ˈbā-shəs 

1

a

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an herb

b

of a stem : having little or no woody tissue and persisting usually for a single growing season

2

: having the texture, color, or appearance of a leaf

Examples of herbaceous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Resurrection is one of Aesop’s always-trending scents, combining orange, rosemary, and lavender for a fresh-smelling, herbaceous experience. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 28 Apr. 2025

Full sun Soil Type: Well-draining to dry Soil pH: Neutral 08 of 10 Lemongrass Add some height to your container garden with lemongrass, a herbaceous perennial, that grows up to 4 feet tall. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025

These colorful, customizable drinks range from sweet to herbaceous and are (mostly) easy to make. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2025

Three new herbaceous and berry-forward drinks are available for a limited time: the Blackberry Sage Refresher, Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher and Midnight Drink. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing herbaceous

• herbaceous border

Rhymes for herbaceous

• arenaceous
• argillaceous
• carbonaceous
• contumacious
• coriaceous
• efficacious
• farinaceous
• foliaceous
• membranaceous
• ochraceous
• olivaceous
• ostentatious

Kids Definition

herbaceous

adjective

her·​ba·​ceous ˌ(h)ər-ˈbā-shəs 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling an herb

2

: being a stem with little or no woody tissue and lasting usually only for a single growing season