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Herb
Definitions
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Herbert.
"Herb and Greta poured through “name” books and the only name they could agree on was “Rosalie.” Greta told Herb that she didn't want her daughter's name to end in a “lie,” and so they named her Rosalee."
- 1 Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to flavour or season food. countable
- 2 aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities wordnet
- 3 A plant whose roots, leaves or seeds, etc. are used in medicine. countable
"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?"
- 4 a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests wordnet
- 5 Cannabis. slang, uncountable
"The room was thick and sour with the smell of herb."
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- 6 A plant whose stem is not woody and does not persist beyond each growing season countable
- 7 Grass; herbage. obsolete, uncountable
"flocks grazing the tender herb"
- 8 (always with pronounced /h/) A lame or uncool person. US, countable, slang
"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.”"
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.
See also for "herb"
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