Definition of basil Basil
/bæˈzʌl/ - [batzul] - Bas•il
We found 18 definitions of basil from 8 different sources.
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What does basil mean?
WordNet
NounPlural: basils |
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| basil - (Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Roman Catholic Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379) | ||
| St. Basil, Basil of Caesarea, Basil the Great, St. Basil the Great | ||
| basil - any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum | ||
| herbaceous plant, herb aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities | ||
| genus ocimum, ocimum basil | ||
| basil - leaves of the common basil; used fresh or dried | ||
| sweet basil | ||
| herb aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities | ||
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Wiktionary 
Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘
- basil (n.)
The slope or angle to which the cutting edge of a tool, as a plane, is ground. - basil (v. t.)
To grind or form the edge of to an angle. - basil (n.)
The name given to several aromatic herbs of the Mint family, but chiefly to the common or sweet basil (Ocymum basilicum), and the bush basil, or lesser basil (O. minimum), the leaves of which are used in cookery. The name is also given to several kinds of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum). - basil (n.)
The skin of a sheep tanned with bark.
OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω
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basil
An annual plant of the Lamiaceae (or Labiate) family, grown as a herb and used in cooking to add flavour.
Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕
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basil
baz′il, n. a mainly tropical or subtropical genus of Labiatæ, characterised by a pleasant aromatic smell and taste, and reckoned amongst sweet herbs.—Sweet basil is an Indian annual long cultivated in Europe for seasoning purposes. [O. Fr. basile—L. basilisca—Gr. basilikon, royal.] -
basil
baz′il, n. a sheepskin roughly tanned and undressed
Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵
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basil
The angle to which the edge of shipwrights' cutting tools is ground away.
Wikipedia 
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Basil ("Ocimum basilicum") (or) is a plant of the Family Lamiaceae. It is also known as Sweet Basil or Tulsi. It is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a perennial in warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia. It has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It is prominently featured in many cuisines throughout the world. Some of them are Italian, Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian cuisines. It grows to between 30–60 cm tall. It has light green, silky leaves 3–5 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The leaves are opposite each other. The flowers are quite big. They are white in color and arranged as a spike.
The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell. Basil is very sensitive to cold. It is best grown in hot, dry conditions. While most common varieties are treated as annuals, some are perennial, including African Blue and Holy Thai basil.
The word "basil" comes from the Greek βασιλεύς ("basileus"), meaning "royal". This is because it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The "Oxford English Dictionary" quotes speculations that basil may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine". Basil is still considered the "king of herbs" by many cookery authors. An alternative etymology has "basil" coming from the Latin word "basilicus", meaning dragon and being the root for basilisk, but this likely was a linguistic reworking of th
Part of speech
🔤- basil, noun, singular of basils.
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