WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Herb
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. herbe, erbe, OF. herbe, erbe, F. herbe, L. herba; perh. akin to Gr. forbh` food, pasture, fe`rbein to feed.]
Definition : 1. A plant whose stem does not become woody and permanent, but dies, at least down to the ground, after flowering.

Note: Annual herbs live but one season; biennial herbs flower the second season, and then die; perennial herbs produce new stems year after year.

2. Grass; herbage. And flocks Grazing the tender herb. Milton. Herb bennet. (Bot.) See Bennet. -- Herb Christopher (Bot.), an herb (Act?a spicata), whose root is used in nervous diseases; the baneberry. The name is occasionally given to other plants, as the royal fern, the wood betony, etc. -- Herb Gerard (Bot.), the goutweed; -- so called in honor of St. Gerard, who used to be invoked against the gout. Dr. Prior. -- Herb grace, or Herb of grace. (Bot.) See Rue. -- Herb Margaret (Bot.), the daisy. See Marguerite. -- Herb Paris (Bot.), an Old World plant related to the trillium (Paris quadrifolia), commonly reputed poisonous. -- Herb Robert (Bot.), a species of Geranium (G. Robertianum.)
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913