basil

CEFRB1

/ˈbæz.əl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A sweet-smelling herb used in cooking.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Any other species in the genus Ocimum.

Examples

  • Basil, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano are popular herbs.

  • I like to add basil to season my spaghetti sauce.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈbeɪ.zəl/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The leaves of this plant used as a herb.

  2. A plant (Ocimum basilicum).

  3. The angle to which a joiner's tool is ground away.

More examples

In context

  • These usually large chisels may have the edge basiled on either the inside or the outside of the 90° angle of the blade.

  • When I once more feel that sharp smarting around the scabby sores that cluster like so many oysters on my ankles beneath my chained iron basils, I know that the tide has turned.

Synonyms

Quick test

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She added fresh blank to the tomato sauce for extra aroma.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Inherited from Middle English basile, from Middle French basile, from Old French basile, from Medieval Latin basilicum, from Ancient Greek βασιλικόν (basilikón, “royal”), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king”). Doublet of basilic, basilicon, and basilicum; further related to basileus, basilean, and basileiolatry.