Herb Meaning
/hɜːb/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to flavour or season food.
nounA plant whose stem is not woody and does not persist beyond each growing season.
Sentence Examples
The herb used in that pasta sauce might be parsley.
After a few dozen unrequited infatuations, Herb's heart became unbreakable.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She picked a fresh ____ from the garden to use in the recipe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Basil is a popular ____ used in Italian cooking to add flavor to pasta sauces and pizzas.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"flocks grazing the tender herb"
— 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
"For twenty-five years he has done all sorts of odd jobs: digging ginseng (a herb) in the Long White Mountains, fishing in the Black River, and washing gold dust at Hailanpao. Without this education, he would never have become an undaunted revolutionary."
— 1973, Joe C. Huang, “The Formative Years - The Village”, in Heroes and Villains in Communist China: The Contemporary Chinese Novel as a Reflection of Life, New York: Pica Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 33:
"The room was thick and sour with the smell of herb."
— 1981 February 14, Andrea Loewenstein, “Voices in the Night”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 8:
"You think he's got any herb?"
— 1995, Harmony Korine, Kids, spoken by Casper:
"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.”"
— 2008, Maryann Dickar, Corridor Cultures: Mapping Student Resistance at an Urban School, page 88:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She picked a fresh ____ from the garden to use in the recipe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Basil is a popular ____ used in Italian cooking to add flavor to pasta sauces and pizzas.