Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
garden balm

garden balm

6.2
A bushy plant with lemon-scented leaves and small white or yellow flowers that people use in teas
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɑrdən bɑlm/
translation icon : bálsamo de limón
  • She planted garden balm along the path to attract bees and add fragrance to the garden.

Examples

  • The leaves of garden balm are often used in herbal teas for their soothing properties.

  • The garden balm thrives best in well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight.

  • After escaping from the garden, garden balm now grows wild in several nearby meadows.

  • I planted garden balm in my backyard.

  • The garden balm grows well in sunny areas.

  • She planted garden balm along the path to attract bees and add fragrance to the garden.

  • The leaves of garden balm are often used in herbal teas for their soothing properties.

Synonyms

lemon balm
vsgarden balm
1 3.0

A herb with lemon-scented leaves used in cooking and teas

is the botanical description focusing on plant traits rather than uses
sweet balm
vsgarden balm
5.7

A bushy herb in the mint family with lemon-scented leaves, also called lemon balm

is the name used for the cultivated form rather than that common name
Melissa officinalis
vsgarden balm
  • Specialized
8.1

A lemon-scented herb used in teas and cooking, also called lemon balm

is the general common name used in everyday speech
field balm
vsgarden balm
  • UK
8.8

A low-growing herb with lemon-scented leaves used to make calming tea

is the broader bushier cultivated form rather than the low-growing type

Surface Forms

garden balm singular
garden balms plural

Morphology

garden + balm

The compound 'garden balm' is partially compositional: 'garden' signals a plant grown in gardens and 'balm' suggests a soothing plant or substance, so learners can guess it refers to a balmy/medicinal plant. However, the specific identity as the herb 'lemon balm' and the botanical sense of 'balm' may not be fully predictable for a B1 learner who knows only the basic senses of the constituents, making the link only partially transparent.

Etymology

The noun garden balm comes from two words: garden (where it was grown) and balm (an old word for something that 'soothes' or heals). Because people grew this lemon-scented plant in gardens to make tea and calm themselves, garden balm now means the soothing, lemon-scented herb used in gardens and teas.