/ hɜːb; NAmE ɜːrb; hɜːrb/ noun
1.
a plant whose leaves, flowers or seeds are used to flavour food, in medicines or for their pleasant smell. Parsley , mint and oregano are all herbs :
a herb garden
( NAmE )
an herb garden
2.
( technical ) a plant with a soft stem that dies down after flowering
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French from Latin herba grass, green crops, herb. Although herb has always been spelled with an h , pronunciation without it was usual until the 19th cent. and is still standard in the US.