from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Herb \Herb\ ([~e]rb or h[~e]rb; 277), n. [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.
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Note: Annual herbs live but one season; biennial herbs flower
the second season, and then die; perennial herbs
produce new stems year after year.
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2. Grass; herbage.
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And flocks
Grazing the tender herb. --Milton.
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{Herb bennet}. (Bot.) See {Bennet}.
{Herb Christopher} (Bot.), an herb ({Act[ae]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} ({Geranium
Robertianum}.)
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