Wiktionary

heather

See also: Heather

English edit

 
heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English hather, hathir, from Old English *hǣddre and hǣþ (“heather”), cognate with Scots hedder, hadder, heddir (“heather”), Saterland Frisian Heede (“heather”), West Frisian heide (“heather”), Dutch heide (“heather”), German Low German Heide, Heid (“heather”), German Heide (“heather”).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

heather (countable and uncountable, plural heathers)

  1. An evergreen plant, Calluna vulgaris, with spiky leaves and small purple, pink, or white flowers.
    • 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 9:
      The cutting sides were gay with heather in bloom, and masses of dainty Scots bluebells, while patches of clear sky overhead were bringing life and colour to the sea.
  2. A plant in the family Ericaceae.
  3. Various species of the genus Erica.
  4. Various species of the genus Cassiope.
  5. A purple colour with a tint of pink and blue.
    heather:  
  6. (textiles) The use of interwoven yarns of mixed colours to produce flecks.

Synonyms edit

  • (Calluna vulgaris): ling

Derived terms edit

Terms derived from heather (noun)

Related terms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

other terms of interest

Adjective edit

heather (not comparable)

  1. Of a purple colour with a tint of pink and blue.

References edit

  1. ^ Meredith, L. P. (1872) “Heather”, in Every-Day Errors of Speech‎[1], Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott & Co., page 24.

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=heather&oldid=78435712"