herb en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /(h)ɝb/ (Canada, US)
- ûrb (Canada, US) h
- (US) audio
- (US) audio
- hû(r)b (Australia, New-Zealand, UK)
- /hɜːb/ (Australia, New-Zealand, UK)
Etymology
From Middle English herbe, erbe, from Old French erbe (French herbe), from Latin herba. Initial h was restored to the spelling in the 15th century on the basis of Latin, but it remained mute until the 19th century and still is for many speakers. Doublet of yerba.
Meanings
- (countable) A plant whose stem is not woody and does not persist beyond each growing season.
-
(archaic, uncountable) Grass; herbage.
flocks grazing the tender herb
1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- (countable) Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to flavour or season food.
-
(countable) A plant whose roots, leaves or seeds, etc. are used in medicine.
For twenty-five years he has done all sorts of odd jobs: digging ginseng (a herb) in the Long White Mountains, fishing in the Black River, and washing gold dust at Hailanpao. Without this education, he would never have become an undaunted revolutionary.
1973, Joe C. Huang, “The Formative Years - The Village”, in Heroes and Villains in Communist China: The Contemporary Chinese Novel as a Reflection of Life, New York: Pica Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 33:If any medicinal herbs used by witches were supposedly evil, then how come people from at least the past benefited from the healing properties of such herbs?
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(slang, uncountable) Cannabis.
The room was thick and sour with the smell of herb.
1981 February 14, Andrea Loewenstein, “Voices in the Night”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 8:You think he's got any herb?
1995, Harmony Korine, Kids, spoken by Casper:
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(US, countable, slang) (always with pronounced /h/) A lame or uncool person.
George (AO) describes the tie between fighting and respect: 'Cause some people could come up to you and say, “Ah, he's a herb, he can't fight. He's nothing.”
2008, Maryann Dickar, Corridor Cultures: Mapping Student Resistance at an Urban School, page 88:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| herbs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
herbland · herbology · herbmaster · death's herb · herblore · herbed · herbish · potherb · herb of repentance · herb Robert · herbist · herbiferous · herb bennet · fuller's herb · African dream herb · herbless · kitchen herb · herbous · herb paris · herbcraft · herb twopence · herb butter · herb Christopher · multiherb · herby · herb of grace · herb knife · superherb · willow herb · herbwoman · herbarian · herb-paris · willowherb · herbs and spices · herb tea · herblike · paleoherb · herb of the cross · herbmistress · herb Peter · rice paddy herb · herb trinity · strewing herb · herb Gerard · cowherb · rosebay willow herb · megaherb · herb doctor · devil's herb · herb box
Relateds
herbicidal · arbour · pseudoherb · herbaceous · herblet · herbed up · herbage · herbarium · herbivorous · herbary · herbivore · herbal · herbicide
Synonyms
sensimilla · hashish · broccoli · djamba · devil's lettuce · gage · ganj · sensimillia · choof · wacky tobaccy · mezz · bhang · cheeba · weed · endo · zaza · reefer · marijuana · yarndie · tea · muggle · benj · daccha · puff · weed · Texas tea · cannabis · Mary Jane · hemp · grass · buddha · boo · mull · sens · pot · green · ganja · herb · dope · zombie · bud · dank · sweetleaf · hash · method · doobage · doja · greenery · marihoochie · twig · grass · MJ · shit · trees · Mary Joanna
Translations (164)
ru тра́вы (plant used in medicine) · nn urt (plant used to flavour food) · ko 약초 (plant used in medicine) · ja ハーブ (plant used to flavour food) · fo urt (plant used to flavour food) · sv gräs (slang: marijuana) · oc èrba (plant used to flavour food) · ln litíti (plant used to flavour food) · hu fűszernövény (plant used to flavour food) · fa گیاه (plant used to flavour food) · ka მცენარე (plant used to flavour food) · ta மூலிகை (plant used in medicine) · ar عُشْبَة طِبِّيَّة (plant used in medicine) · gl herba (plant used to flavour food) · el χόρτο (slang: marijuana) · el βότανο (plant used in medicine) · cy perlysieuyn (plant used to flavour food) · hy համեմունք (plant used to flavour food) · li keukekroed (plant used to flavour food) · it erba (slang: marijuana) · pt erva (slang: marijuana) · mn навч шилбэ (plant used to flavour food) · it erba medicinale (plant used in medicine) · es hierba culinaria (plant used to flavour food) · tr ot (slang: marijuana) · ru расте́ние (plant used to flavour food) · cmn 草藥 /草药 (plant used in medicine) · nb urt (plant used in medicine) · hi औषध (plant used in medicine) · fi ruoho (slang: marijuana) · it erba (plant used to flavour food) · sk bylín (plant used to flavour food) · he יֶרֶק (plant used to flavour food) · ca herba (plant used to flavour food) · grc ἄρωμα (plant used to flavour food) · cy llysieuyn pêr (plant used to flavour food) · eo herbo (plant used to flavour food) · mr हरितक (plant used to flavour food) · la herba (plant used to flavour food) · mr शाक (plant used to flavour food) · cs bylina (plant used in medicine) · or ଔଷଧ (plant used in medicine) · pl zioło lecznicze (plant used in medicine) · enm wort (plant used in medicine) · de Kraut (slang: marijuana) · km ជីរ (plant used to flavour food) · sco yerb (plant used to flavour food) · es planta medicinal (plant used in medicine) · mk билка (plant used to flavour food) · gl herba (slang: marijuana) · tl damong-gamot (plant used to flavour food) · fr herbe aromatique (plant used to flavour food) · ka მცენარე (plant used in medicine) · cy llysieuyn llesol (plant used in medicine) · lmo erba (plant used to flavour food) · ht zèb (plant used to flavour food) · nb urt (plant used to flavour food) · sv ört (plant used to flavour food) · fi yrtti (plant used in medicine) · grc πόα (plant used in medicine) · io herboro (plant used in medicine) · fr herbe (slang: marijuana) · da krydderurt (plant used to flavour food) · kn ಮೂಲಿಕೆ (plant used in medicine) · fa گیاه دارویی (plant used in medicine) · fi yrtti (plant used to flavour food) · fa اسپرم (plant used in medicine) · hu gyógynövény (plant used in medicine) · mi raukakara (plant used to flavour food) · sl zelišče (plant used to flavour food) · ca herba (plant used in medicine) · vi cỏ (plant used to flavour food) · wa yerbêye (plant used to flavour food) · tr ot (plant used to flavour food) · ka ბალახი (plant used to flavour food) · ko 향초 (plant used to flavour food) · pl zioło (plant used to flavour food) · ru тра́вы (plant used to flavour food) · bg билка (plant used in medicine) · ml ഓഷധി (plant used in medicine) · fa اسپرم (plant used to flavour food) · pt erva medicinal (plant used in medicine) · bg трева (slang: marijuana) · nds Kruut (plant used to flavour food) · lij erba (plant used to flavour food) · fi rohto (plant used in medicine) · pl zioło (slang: marijuana) · ro verdețuri (plant used to flavour food) · pt tempero (plant used to flavour food) · id herba (plant used in medicine) · ru тра́вка (slang: marijuana) · vo sanakeb (plant used in medicine) · te మూలిక (plant used in medicine) · qu qiwa (plant used to flavour food) · th สมุนไพร (plant used to flavour food) · is kryddjurt (plant used to flavour food) · da urt (plant used to flavour food) · ang lǣċewyrt (plant used in medicine) · bg зелена подправка (plant used to flavour food) · ms herba (plant used to flavour food) · ms herba (plant used in medicine) · vi cây thảo (plant used to flavour food) · el μυρωδικό (plant used to flavour food) · ru расте́ние (plant used in medicine) · de Küchenkraut (plant used to flavour food) · ja 薬草 (plant used in medicine) · hi जड़ी बूटी (plant used to flavour food) · vi dược thảo (plant used in medicine) · hu gyógyfű (plant used in medicine) · cy llysieuyn crochan (plant used to flavour food) · pl zioło (plant used in medicine) · gd luibh (plant used in medicine) · th สมุนไพร (plant used in medicine) · eo drogherbo (plant used in medicine) · ang wyrt (plant used in medicine) · gd lus (plant used to flavour food) · ru трава́ (slang: marijuana) · io herbo (plant used to flavour food) · nn urt (plant used in medicine) · enm herbe (plant used to flavour food) · gl herba (plant used in medicine) · sh tráva (slang: marijuana) · ga luibh (plant used to flavour food) · ka პლანი (slang: marijuana) · ru трава́ (plant used to flavour food) · pms erba (plant used to flavour food) · ru трава́ (plant used in medicine) · da lægeurt (plant used in medicine) · sv örtkrydda (plant used to flavour food) · gsw Chruut (plant used to flavour food) · nl keukenkruid (plant used to flavour food) · mr वनस्पति (plant used to flavour food) · ota ریحان (plant used to flavour food) · it erba aromatica (plant used to flavour food) · sl začimba (plant used to flavour food) · tr şifalı ot (plant used in medicine) · de Heilkraut (plant used in medicine) · nrf hèrbe (plant used to flavour food) · no gress (slang: marijuana) · hu fű (slang: marijuana) · mr ओषधी (plant used to flavour food) · lv garšaugs (plant used to flavour food) · vo keb (plant used to flavour food) · sh тра́ва (slang: marijuana) · et maitsetaim (plant used to flavour food) · cy llysieuyn meddyginiaethol (plant used in medicine) · fr herbe médicinale (plant used in medicine) · he עֵשֶׂב (plant used to flavour food) · nl geneeskruid (plant used in medicine) · sv ört (plant used in medicine) · ang wyrt (plant used to flavour food) · es hierba (slang: marijuana) · ja 香草 (plant used to flavour food) · enm herbe (plant used in medicine) · gd luibh (plant used to flavour food) · gd lus (plant used in medicine) · yue 香草 (plant used to flavour food) · pox krüd (plant used to flavour food) · mr तृणादि (plant used to flavour food) · ka ბალახი (plant used in medicine) · rgn erba (plant used to flavour food) · cmn 香草 (plant used to flavour food) · pt erva (plant used to flavour food) · tr ot (plant used in medicine)