Herb
/hɝːb/noun
A plant used for flavoring, medicine, or fragrance.
Did you know?In English, the silent H in “herb” is a later French-influenced spelling habit; the word ultimately comes from Latin *herba*, the ordinary word for grass and green plants.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰer-
“to grow, to become green”
Latin
Latin
herba
“grass, herb, green plant”
Old French
OF
erbe
“herb, grass”
Middle English
English
herbe
“herb, plant used for food or medicine”
Modern English
English
herb
“a plant used for flavoring, medicine, or fragrance”