sweet basil
noun
: a basil (Ocimum basilicum) with whitish or purple flowers that includes several cultivars (such as bush basil)
also
: its dried or fresh leaves used especially as a seasoning
Examples of sweet basil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The crops on her five-acre plot include corn, peppers, beans and sweet basil.
—
Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
This sweet basil has a vibrant clove flavor and crinkled, curled leaves.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2023
And those sweet basil lox?
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 29 June 2022
The Golden Flight package picks you up in a plane perfumed with calming sweet basil oil.
—Nicola Chilton, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2023
Choose your fighter: The Mineral Soak (a combination of California sea salts and Hawaiian green salts), Body Oil (made with huckleberry seed oil and sandalwood nut oil), or Fragrance Oil (a calming, earthy aroma with a hint of sweet basil) all relieve moments of tension.
—Lisa Desantis, Allure, 23 Mar. 2023
This craft distillery gin boasts nine different botanicals, including two unusual ones: sweet basil and Wisconsin ginseng.
—Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Surprising scoops, like sweet basil vanilla.
—Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, 1 Sep. 2020
Active ingredients: Oatmeal, aloe, jojoba oil, coconut oil, sweet basil, and turmeric Give your dog the best wash with Paws & Pals 5-In-1 Oatmeal Dog Shampoo.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2022
Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
This sweet basil has a vibrant clove flavor and crinkled, curled leaves.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2023
And those sweet basil lox?
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 29 June 2022
The Golden Flight package picks you up in a plane perfumed with calming sweet basil oil.
—Nicola Chilton, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2023
Choose your fighter: The Mineral Soak (a combination of California sea salts and Hawaiian green salts), Body Oil (made with huckleberry seed oil and sandalwood nut oil), or Fragrance Oil (a calming, earthy aroma with a hint of sweet basil) all relieve moments of tension.
—Lisa Desantis, Allure, 23 Mar. 2023
This craft distillery gin boasts nine different botanicals, including two unusual ones: sweet basil and Wisconsin ginseng.
—Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Surprising scoops, like sweet basil vanilla.
—Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, 1 Sep. 2020
Active ingredients: Oatmeal, aloe, jojoba oil, coconut oil, sweet basil, and turmeric Give your dog the best wash with Paws & Pals 5-In-1 Oatmeal Dog Shampoo.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet basil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1647, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sweet basil
Cite this Entry
“Sweet basil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet%20basil. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
sweet basil
noun
: a mint that has clusters of whitish or purple flowers and leaves often used as a seasoning in cooking
More from Merriam-Webster on sweet basil
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweet basil
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