What is "basil"

Basil \Bas"il\ (b[a^]z"[i^]l), n. [Corrupt. from E. basan, F. basane, LL. basanium, bazana, fr. Ar. bith[=a]na, prop., lining.] The skin of a sheep tanned with bark.

Basil \Bas"il\ (b[a^]z"[i^]l), n. [Cf. F. basile and E. Bezel.] The slope or angle to which the cutting edge of a tool, as a plane, is ground.
--Grier.

Basil \Bas"il\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Basiled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Basiling.] To grind or form the edge of to an angle.
--Moxon.

Basil \Bas"il\, n. [F. basilic, fr. L. basilicus royal, Gr. basiliko`s fr. basiley`s king.] (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.

masc. proper name, from Latin Basilius, from Greek Basileios "kingly, royal," from basileus "king," which is of unknown origin, possibly from a language of Asia Minor (compare Lydian battos "king").

aromatic shrubby plant, early 15c., from Old French basile (15c., Modern French basilic), from Medieval Latin basilicum, from Greek basilikon (phyton) "royal (plant)," from basileus "king" (see Basil). So called, probably, because it was believed to have been used in making royal perfumes. In Latin, confused with basiliscus (see basilisk) because it was supposed to be an antidote to the basilisk's venom.

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1. n. any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum

2. (Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379) [syn: St. Basil, Basil of Caesarea, Basil the Great, St. Basil the Great]

3. leaves or the common basil; used fresh or dried [syn: sweet basil]

Basil ; (Ocimum basilicum), also called great basil or Saint-Joseph's-wort, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is also called the "king of herbs" and the "royal herb". The name "basil" comes from Greek βασιλικόν φυτόν (basilikón phutón), "royal/kingly plant".

Basil is possibly native to India, and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is a hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil (or Genovese basil), as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. X citriodorum), and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as " African blue".

To date, there are no scientifically established health benefits of consuming basil leaves or oil.

Basil (1852) is the second novel written by British author Wilkie Collins, after Antonina.

Basil is a 1998 British historical drama film directed by Radha Bharadwaj and starring Christian Slater, Jared Leto, Claire Forlani and Derek Jacobi. It was based on the 1852 novel Basil by Victorian author Wilkie Collins. The adaptation is by Bharadwaj.

Basil is a plant and seasoning.

Basil may also refer to:

• Basil (name), people named Basil
• Basil, California, former name of Redwood Valley, California
• Basil (novel), by Wilkie Collins
• Basil (film), a 1998 film by Radha Bharadwaj starring Jared Leto
• Basil (Sesame Park), the main character on the Canadian children's show Sesame Park
• Basil Fawlty, the main character in Fawlty Towers
• Saint Basil (disambiguation)
• The Great Mouse Detective, also known as Basil the Great Mouse Detective, an animated film by Disney

Basil the Bear was the main character on the Canadian children's show Sesame Park. He was portrayed by puppeteer Tim Gosley from 1987–1996, and puppeteer Bob Stutt from 1996–2002.

Along with Dodi and Louis, Basil was one of the three original Canadian Muppets, beginning in the period when the program was called "Canadian Sesame Street".

Despite his deep voice, Basil has been shown to be the most childlike of the characters, having difficulty dressing himself, and the most curious. He struggled to learn French from his bilingual friend Louis. Basil starred in the first "Canadian Sesame Street" special, Basil Hears a Noise, though he shared the spotlight with special guest Elmo.

The name Basil (; royal, kingly) comes from the male Greek name Vassilios , which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from " basileus" , a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin meaning "king", from which words such as basilica and basilisk (via Latin) as well as the eponymous herb (via Old French) derive, and the name of the Italian region Basilicata, which had been long under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor (also called basileus).

It was brought to England by the Crusaders, having been common in the eastern Mediterranean. It is more often used in Britain and Europe than in the US and is also the name of a common herb.

In Arabic, Bas(s)el (, bāsil) is an indirect Quranic name for boys that means "brave, fearless, intrepid". It is derived from the B-S-L root, which is used in many places in the Quran.

Different derived names in different languages include Basile in French; Basilius in German; Basilio in Italian, Galician and Spanish; Basileo in Galician; Vasile in Romanian; Vasil in Bulgarian; Vasilije in Serbian; Vasily in Russian; Bazil, Bazsó, Vászoly and Vazul in Hungarian.

"Basil" has over 50 variants, among them being: Bacile, Bas(s)el, Basley, Baseley, Bas(s)il(l), Basilic, Basilides, Basileios, Basileo, Basile, Basilie, Basilio, Basilius, Basilone, Bazeel, Bazeelius, Bazley, Bazeley, Bazell, Bazelle, Bazil, Bazyli, Breasal, Pasi, Vasil, Vasyl, Vasile, Vaseleos, Vasilchenko, Vasileos, Vasilije, Vasilj, Vasko, Vasa, Vaso, Vasović, Vas(s)ilios, Vasilius, Vasilus, Vassilis, Vasili, Vassili, Vasiliy, Vassilij, Vassily, Wassily, and Wasilewski.

Basil may refer to the following people: