bitter herb: Meaning and Definition of

bit'ter herb'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. an Old World herb, Centaurium erythraea, used dried in medicine as a tonic.
  2. the turtlehead, Chelone glabra, used in medicine as a tonic, cathartic, and anthelmintic.
  3. an herb that tastes bitter, as horseradish, traditionally eaten at the Seder, and serving as a reminder of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.