An A-Z Guide to Herbalist Terminology

Whether you are a master herbalist or just a herb aficionado, keeping track of herbal terms can be slightly overwhelming. It’s helpful to always have a simple cheat sheet handy, so while you sip on your cup of herbal tea or admire your new herb garden, here is an A-Z list of the basic herbalist terms to know!

TIP: BOOKMARK THIS BLOG, PRINT THIS LIST, AND KEEP IT HANDY SO THAT YOU CAN REFER TO IT AS OFTEN AS YOU NEED.

Adaptogen: An adaptogen is a herb that improves the body’s ability to adapt to stress. Adaptogens promote balance, health, and well-being. They help to normalize organ and system functioning on a broad basis.

Adjuvant: These herbs enhance the body’s response to a remedy. It aids in the action of other ingredients of a formula to encourage absorption, balance energetic qualities or catalyze the overall response.

Allopathy: allopathic medicine is another term for conventional, modern Western medicine. It is an evidence-based system where doctors and other health care professionals treat symptoms using conventional medications.

Alterative: alteratives gradually help the body restore normal vitality, function, and health. All adaptogens are alteratives, but not all alteratives are adaptogens.

Analgesic: An analgesic is a substance that relieves pain.

Anodyne: Anodyne is another word for something that reduces pain. It works by reducing nervous system response or the perception of it.

Anthelmintic: Another term for anthelmintic is vermifuge, and these herbs help eliminate worms from the digestive system.

Antiemetics: These are herbs used to reduce nausea and prevent or relieve vomiting.

Aperient: This is primarily used to describe a mild laxative. Aperients also encourage digestion and appetite and are typically used to prepare the digestive environment.

Astringent: Astringents are herbs that contract the tissues, making them denser and firmer. Astringent herbs tone and tighten the body. They also regulate body secretions.

Apothecary: A person who dispenses and formulates medicine or a place where medicine is prepared and stored.

Aromatherapy: This practice involves using plant materials (generally but not always essential oils) to improve well-being and health. Aromatherapy uses plant extracts for healing and cosmetic purposes.

Ayurveda: Ayurveda is a conjugation of two Sanskrit words’ ayus’, meaning ‘life’ and “veda”, meaning “science.” Ayurveda is the subset of teachings referring to an ancient Indian medicine system, including herbs, foods, yogic breathing, and lifestyle choices to support vibrant health.

Balsamic: A herb that soothes and mitigates inflammation.

Carminative: The volatile oils in carminative plants aid in stimulating the digestive system and the relaxation of the stomach. Carminative plants help prevent gas.

Compress: A compress is a topical application to relieve inflammation or pain and soften the tissue. It is made by placing a cloth soaked in a herbal liquid preparation like a decoction or tea. The cloth is then wrung out and applied externally to the skin or body.

Decoction: This is a concentrated water extraction of plant materials made through simmering or boiling. It is typically used for denser parts of the plant like the bark, roots, berries, mushrooms, and seeds. A decoction is more concentrated than an infusion.

Demulcent: A herb rich in mucilage that creates a soothing film over a mucous membrane. Demulcent is used when referring to internal use. Slippery elm, commonly used for sore throats, is an example of a demulcent.

Depurative: These herbs are considered to be purifying or detoxifying.

Diuretic: Increases the production and elimination of urine.

Emetics: These are herbs that induce vomiting.

Emollient: Emollients protect, soften and soothe the skin. The term is used when referring to external use, unlike a demulcent that is used for internal use.

Emmenagogue: These herbs promote and regulate menstrual flow and help normalize hormonal levels through their action on the liver.

Essential oil: Contrary to their name, they are not actually oils. Good quality essential oils are made through distillation. Their chemical composition can be subdivided into hydrocarbons and oxygenated chemicals. Essential oils are highly aromatic.

Expectorant: These herbs support the body’s removal of excess mucus from the respiratory system.

Glyceract: This is a tincture made using vegetable glycerine instead of alcohol. Glyercine is chemically classified as alcohol, but it doesn’t have the same negative effects associated with it like intoxication. Glyceracts are typically used for pets, children, and those with alcohol sensitivity.

Herbal medicine: Herbal medicine has roots in ancient culture and involves using medicinal plants to treat illness and support general health and well-being.

Herbalism: This is the science and art of using plants to nourish the body, mind, and spirit to support healing and well-being. Herbalism also encompasses cultural symbolism and ritualistic folklore This practice can include using plant extracts or whole plants in the form of food, herbal tea, powered herbs, incense, liquid extracts, skin preparations, and smudges.

Homeopathy: This practice is based on the theory of “like cures like.” It is the preparation of the diluted plant, mineral, or animal substances that are “matched to specific symptom pattern profiles of illness to stimulate the body’s natural healing process” (American Botanical Council, 2016).

Hepatic: These aid in the toning and strengthening of the liver and increase bile flow.

Hypnotics: Herbs that help support healthy sleep. They do not cause hypnotic trance.

Infusion: An infusion is a remedy or extract made by soaking plant material in liquid, generally water. Infusions are recommended for flowers and leaves with volatile oils, enzymes, and vitamins that can be easily extracted by being submerged in hot water.

Infused oil: This is an oil in which the qualities of a herb have been transferred by infusion over time from hours to weeks, and sometimes heat is applied.

Liniment: This is a lotion of liquid made with oils used topically to relieve pain.

Maceration: This is the process of chopping or grinding a herb, placing it in a jar, and covering it with a solvent (a combination of water and alcohol). This mixture is left to sit for some time and then strained out. The leftover liquid is the tincture that contains the plant’s extracted active constituents.

Materia Medica: This term is used for the body of knowledge collected about materials used for therapeutic properties. For herbalists, this would be the collective knowledge about herbs and plant materials.

Mucilage: Mucilage is the polysaccharide substance in certain plants that, when extracted, forms a gelatinous consistency.

Nervine: These are herbs beneficial to the nervous system and have various actions. Some of them stimulate or relax while others tone and strengthen.

Pharmacognosy: This is the study of medicines that are obtained from natural sources. It is defined as “the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources” by the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

Poultice: Poultice is the soft, moist mass of plant material applied topically to a sore. Poulticed herbs are generally held in place with a cloth, bandage, leaf, or other suitable material.

Rubefacient: When applied topically, these cause gentle local irritation by promoting the dilation of capillaries near the surface of the skin. This stimulates circulation and relieves congestion or inflammation, alleviating deeper internal pain.

Sedative: These herbs are calming to the nervous system and reduce stress and nervousness. They also help areas of the body which have been affected by nervous problems.

Solar infusion: This is typically made using plant materials soaked in oil. The jar is sealed and allowed to sit in the sun to allow the sun’s rays to heat it and cause the phytochemical to be released into the oil.

Salve: This is a semi-solid fatty herbal mixture than is usually applied externally. The common ingredients are primarily wax and an oil, like extra virgin olive oil infused with herbs and combined with softened beeswax.

Tincture: A tincture is an extract of a plant made by soaking the herbs in a dark place with glycerine, vinegar, or alcohol for two to six weeks. This liquid is strained off the plant material, and then the herbal tincture is used therapeutically.

Tonic: A tonic is a herb that energizes, stimulates, and strengthens the body.

Vulnerary: When applied topically, these herbs aid the body in healing wounds and cuts.

I hope this A-Z guide to herbalist terminology comes in handy until you are familiar with the terms. Feel free to share it with fellow herbalists.