herb

 
Pronunciation: /həːb/

noun

  • 1any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, or perfume: bundles of dried herbs [as modifier]: a herb garden
  • 2 Botany any seed-bearing plant which does not have a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering: the banana plant is the world’s largest herb

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 century and is still standard in the US