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Definition of herb noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

herb

noun
 
/hɜːb/
 
/ɜːrb/,
 
/hɜːrb/
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  1. a plant whose leaves, flowers or seeds are used to add taste to food, in medicines or for their pleasant smell. parsley, mint and oregano are all herbs.
    • a herb garden
    • (North American English) an herb garden
    Extra Examples
    • Add a teaspoonful of mixed herbs.
    • Ali recommends taking herbs to facilitate recovery.
    • Serve cold, garnished with fresh herbs.
    • The shop sells a large range of herbs and spices.
    Topics Foodb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dried
    • fresh
    • wild
    … of herbs
    • bunch
    verb + herb
    • garnish something with
    • add
    • use
    herb + noun
    • bed
    • garden
    • species
    phrases
    • herbs and spices
    See full entry
  2. (specialist) a plant with a soft stem that dies down after flowering
  3. Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin herba ‘grass, green crops, herb’. Although herb has always been spelled with an h, pronunciation without the h was usual until the 19th cent. and is still standard in the US.
See herb in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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