herb

Meaning

Noun

• Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to flavour or season food.
• A plant whose roots, leaves or seeds, etc. are used in medicine.
• Cannabis.
• A plant whose stem is not woody and does not persist beyond each growing season
• Grass; herbage.

Origin

• 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 on Latin, but it remained mute until the 19th century and still is for many speakers.