English

Alternative forms

• herball (obsolete)

Adjective

herbal

1. Made from or with herbs.

   Herbal tea has a nice aroma and is good for a stuffy head.

2. Made from natural herbs specifically as opposed to from synthetic materials.
   • 2013 March 1, David S. Senchina, “Athletics and Herbal Supplements”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 134:

     Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.

   People think herbal supplements are safer because they are natural.

Translations

Derived terms

Noun

herbal ‎(plural herbals)

1. A manual of herbs and their medical uses
   • 2005 January 7, Cecil Adams, “The Straight Dope”, in Chicago Reader:

     It can still be found in herbals and such, which describe it as a sedative and cough suppressant.

2. An herbal supplement
   • 2003 March 7, Jeffrey Felshman, “The Killer Inside Me”, in Chicago Reader:

     I took a ride to the shopping strip at Belmont and Central and stocked up on herbals at three Polish New Age health stores.