basil: Meaning and Definition of

bas•il

Pronunciation: (baz'ul, bas'-, bā'zul, -sul), [key]
— n.
  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

Pronunciation: (baz'ul, bas'-, bā'zul, -sul), [key]
— n.
  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.”
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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