basil: Meaning and Definition of

bas•il

1. any of several aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Ocimum, of the mint family, as O. basilicumhaving purplish-green ovate leaves used in cooking.

Bas•il

1. (“the Great”), a.d. 329?–379, bishop of Caesarea in Asia Minor (brother of Saint Gregory of Nyssa).
2. a male given name: from a Greek word meaning “royal.”