a small plant whose leaves, seeds, or flowers are used for flavoring food, making medicine, or adding a pleasant smell
She grows rosemary, thyme, and other herbs on her windowsill.
Add a pinch of dried herb to give the sauce more flavor.
✦ From Old French herbe, from Latin herba meaning grass, green crops, or herb.
slang: an uncool, awkward, or foolish person
Stop acting like a herb and join the dance floor.
Everyone called him a herb after he bragged about his fake sneakers.
✦ Popularized in 1990s hip-hop culture, possibly shortened from “herbert” used as a generic male name for an inept person.
