Meanings
forb1
plural forbs · alternative phorb
- biologyAny nonwoody flowering plant that is not a graminoid (a grass, sedge, or rush).
So younger is better and the part nearest the roots is better, but what makes life possible for the pronghorn is a supply of forbs—small broadleaf plants growing among the grasses.
2002, Dale F. Lott, American Bison: A Natural History, page 1222 more examples
2004, A. Kirilov, P. Todorova Development of forage areas and forage resources in Bulgaria during the period of transition, A. Lüscher, et al. (editors), Land Use Systems in Grassland Dominated Regions: Proceedings of the 20th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, Grassland Science in Europe, Volume 9, page 859, Buchgraber (1995) recommends 50-70% of grasses, 10-30% of legumes and also 10-30% of forbs on meadows, while Kessler (1994) recommends the same proportion of grasses, 10-20% of legumes and 20-40% of forbs on natural meadows.
Common understory forbs included, but were not limited to, large-leaved aster, bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), bluebead lily, species of clubmoss, Canada mayflower, and sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus).
2009, Mesaba Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement, 3.8-3
FORB2
FoRB3
- uncountableAlternative letter-case form of FORB.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφορβή“food”
- Englishforb
Borrowed from Ancient Greek φορβή (phorbḗ, “food”), from φέρβω (phérbō, “to feed”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan fòrbia
- fòrbianon-graminoid flowering plant
French phorbe
- phorbenon-graminoid flowering plant
Korean 광엽초본
- 광엽초본 (gwang'yeopchobon)non-graminoid flowering plant
Spanish forbia
- forbianon-graminoid flowering plant
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
forb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forb
“forb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forb. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forb,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forb.
Source: forb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.