Bas·il, n.  Bot. The name given to several aromatic herbs of the Mint family, but chiefly to the common or sweet basil (Ocymum basilicum), and the bush basil, or lesser basil (Ocymum minimum), the leaves of which are used in cookery. The name is also given to several kinds of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum).
 Basil thyme, a name given to the fragrant herbs Calamintha Acinos and Calamintha Nepeta.
 Wild basil, a plant (Calamintha clinopodium) of the Mint family.


 Cal·a·mint n.  Bot. A genus of perennial plants (Calamintha) of the Mint family, esp. the Calamintha Nepeta and Calamintha Acinos, which are called also basil thyme.

 ◄ ►


 Calamintha nepeta
      n : low-growing strongly aromatic perennial herb of southern
          Europe to GB naturalized in United States [syn: {lesser
          calamint, field balm, Calamintha nepeta glantulosa,
          Satureja nepeta, Satureja calamintha glandulosa]