# herb

/ˈɝb/ (US) · /hˈɜːb/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/herb
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. culinary seasoning

noun · CEFR B1

a plant with soft leaves used to add flavor to food.

For teachers: any green, leafy plant or plant part used to season or flavour food.

- She chopped fresh herbs like parsley and basil to put in the pasta sauce.
- The chef insisted on using fresh herbs rather than dried ones to preserve the delicate aromatic profile of the Mediterranean dish.

### 2. medicinal plant

noun · CEFR B2

a plant used to make natural medicine or tea to help with health.

For teachers: a plant whose roots, leaves, or seeds are utilised for their therapeutic or medicinal properties.

- The local shop sells various herbs that help you sleep better at night.
- Traditional healers have long relied on specific forest herbs to treat inflammatory conditions before modern pharmaceuticals were available.

### 3. botanical definition

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a plant that has a soft green stem instead of a woody one.

For teachers: a seed-producing plant that does not develop persistent woody tissue and dies down to the ground at the end of a growing season.

- Unlike trees, a herb does not have a hard trunk and usually dies in winter.
- The botanical survey classified the new species as a perennial herb due to its non-woody stem and seasonal growth cycle.

### 4. cannabis

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word for the drug cannabis.

For teachers: a slang term for cannabis, often used within specific subcultures.

- In some cultures, people use the word herb to refer to marijuana.
- The lyrics of the song frequently reference herb as a central element of the artist's spiritual and social lifestyle.

### 5. uncool person

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang

a slang word for someone who is boring, weak, or not cool.

For teachers: a derogatory slang term for an individual perceived as socially inept, weak, or unfashionable.

- He felt like a total herb when he showed up to the party in the wrong clothes.
- The teenagers dismissed him as a herb because he refused to participate in their risky behavior.

Usage: In this sense, the 'h' is almost always pronounced, even by speakers who usually drop it.

Teaching tip: This is specific to older American hip-hop slang; it may sound dated to younger speakers.

## Examples

- I like to add fresh herbs like basil to my pasta.
- The chef grows a variety of herbs in the kitchen garden to ensure the sauces always have a bright, fresh flavor.
- While many modern medicines are synthesized in laboratories, their active compounds were originally derived from the chemical properties of a specific herb used in traditional healing practices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.