hə:b n. 1
any non-woody seed-bearing
plant which dies down to
the ground
after flowering. 2 any plant
with leaves, seeds, or flowers used
for flavouring,
food,
medicine,
scent, etc. øherb bennet a
common yellow-flowered plant,
Geum urbanum. herb Christopher a white-flowered
baneberry, Actaea spicata. herb Gerard a white-flowered plant, Aegopodium podagraria. herb Paris a plant, Paris quadrifolia, with a
single flower and four leaves in a
cross shape on an unbranched stem. herb Robert a common
cranesbill,
Geranium robertianum, with red-stemmed leaves and
pink flowers. herb
tea an
infusion of herbs. herb
tobacco a
mixture of herbs smoked as a
substitute for tobacco. øøherbiferous adj. herblike adj. [ME f. OF erbe f. L herba
grass,
green crops, herb; herb bennet prob. f. med.L herba benedicta
blessed herb (thought of as expelling the Devil)]