basil
noun
ba·sil
| \ ˈba-zəl
, ˈbā-, -səl
\
, ˈbā-, -səl
\
Definition of basil
(Entry 1 of 2)
2
: the dried or fresh leaves of a basil used especially as a seasoning
Basil
biographical name
Bas·il
| \ ˈbā-zəl
, ˈba-, -səl\
, ˈba-, -səl\
variants:
or Basilius \ bə-ˈsi-lē-əs
, -ˈzi- \
, -ˈzi- \
Definition of Basil (Entry 2 of 2)
Saint circa 329–379 the Great church father; bishop of Caesarea
Examples of basil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
If not serving immediately, wait to add torn basil until just before serving. — al, "Serve a meal inspired by Alabama’s 200-year history," 20 Aug. 2019 Spicy tuna bruschetta is a nice appetizer mashup, and the watermelon and feta salad, bolstered by red onion, grape tomatoes and torn basil, is a refreshing starter. — Phil Vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Two pizzerias making a splash along the Chicago River — one with Phil Vettel’s favorite pizza crust in town," 15 Aug. 2019 Add optional filling ingredients like fresh basil or toasted pine nuts. — Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, "Squash blossoms, stuffed with cheese and fit to be fried," 31 July 2019 Guests dined on tomato basil soup, roast beef sandwiches and blueberry pie — an homage to the Three Course Dinner Chewing Gum that was character Violet Beauregarde’s downfall. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "La Cañada officials recreate world of Wonka in city-sponsored mixer," 19 July 2019 The garden is in a sunny room on the 12th floor of the 16th & Market Affordable Workforce Apartments, where basil and lettuce has been growing from white plastic tubes filled with water for the past few months. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Jobs program growing with hydroponics at Father Joe’s," 27 Aug. 2019 Carnochan harvested Swiss chard, okra, basil and other items one recent morning. — Cortlynn Stark, Washington Post, "School gardens thrive with summer volunteer program," 25 Aug. 2019 Moving among rows of aeroponic growing towers the pickers plucked leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers like Genovese basil and red Russian kale, washed them and packed them in coolers. — Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, "Denver urban farming trend grows from a Sloan’s Lake condo tower to a Larimer Square parking garage," 4 Aug. 2019 This summer bolognese combines cherry tomatoes, chiles, basil, and just enough meat for a weeknight-friendly take on the classic Italian ragù. — Aliza Abarbanel, Bon Appétit, "This Summer Bolognese Is Fresher, Faster, and Just as Good as the Classic," 30 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'basil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for basil
basil
noun
English Language Learners Definition of basil
: an herb that has a sweet smell and that is used in cooking
See the full definition for basil in the English Language Learners Dictionary
basil
noun
ba·sil
| \ ˈba-zəl
, ˈbā-\
, ˈbā-\
Kids Definition of basil
: a fragrant mint used in cooking
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