any herbaceous plant having medicinal properties
"The old apothecary gathered a basket of simple herbs to brew a tea for her sick neighbor."
A herbal preparation made from one plant, as opposed to something made from more than one plant.
"The pharmacist explained that while his colleague prescribed a complex mixture for her headache, the doctor had recommended only a simple tea made from a single herb."
In plain English: A simple thing is something that has very few parts and is easy to use or understand.
"The new model features a simple design that is easy to use."
Usage: Use "simple" as a noun only in the specific context of herbal medicine to describe a preparation derived from a single plant species. In everyday conversation, this term is rarely used and should be avoided in favor of clearer descriptions unless discussing botanical remedies.
To gather simples, i.e. medicinal herbs.
"She spent her morning gathering simples from the forest edge to brew a healing tea for her neighbor."
In plain English: To make something less complicated or easier to deal with.
"He decided to simplify his morning routine by sleeping in later."
Usage: Do not use "to simple" to mean gathering medicinal herbs; this is an archaic or dialectal term that has fallen out of common usage. Instead, keep the word "simple" as an adjective describing something uncomplicated or easy to understand.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
"a simple problem"
"simple mechanisms"
"a simple design"
"a simple substance"
easy and not involved or complicated
"an elementary problem in statistics"
"elementary, my dear Watson"
"a simple game"
"found an uncomplicated solution to the problem"
exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity
"childlike trust"
"dewy-eyed innocence"
"listened in round-eyed wonder"
lacking mental capacity and subtlety
"The detective dismissed his theory as too simple to account for the complex web of deceit involved in the case."
(botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions
"The botanist noted that while most plants in the meadow had compound foliage, these particular species bore simple leaves."
Uncomplicated; taken by itself, with nothing added.
"The recipe calls for just a simple mixture of flour and water before any toppings are added."
In plain English: Simple means easy to do or understand without any complicated parts.
"The recipe is very simple and easy to follow."
Usage: Use simple to describe something that is easy to understand or has few parts, such as a straightforward recipe or a basic machine. Avoid using it when you mean "basic" in a way that implies low quality, since the word focuses on lack of complexity rather than inferiority.
The word "simple" comes from the Latin simplex, which literally means "onefold." It entered Middle English via Old French to describe something that is not double or complex.