Category:Herb

Herb, n. Etym: [OE. herbe, erbe, OF. herbe, erbe, F. herbe, L. herba; perh. akin to Gr. forbh` food, pasture, fe`rbein to feed.]

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 (Actæa 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 Saint 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.)

--- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Herb - (1.) Heb. 'eseb, any green plant; herbage (Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:12, Genesis 1:29, Genesis 1:30; Genesis 2:5; Genesis 3:18, etc.); comprehending vegetables and all green herbage (Amos 7:1, Amos 7:2). (2.) Yarak, green; any green thing; foliage of trees (2 Kings 19:26; Psalms 37:2); a plant; herb (Deuteronomy 11:10). (3.) Or, meaning "light" In Isaiah 26:19 it means "green herbs;" in 2 Kings 4:39 probably the fruit of some plant. (4.) Merorim, plural, "bitter herbs," eaten by the Israelites at the Passover (Exodus 12:8; Numbers 9:11). They were bitter plants of various sorts, and referred symbolically to the oppression in Egypt.