heather

(het̸hər)

noun

any of various low-growing plants of the heath family; esp., a plant (Calluna vulgaris) common in the British Isles, with scalelike leaves and stalks of small, bell-shaped, purplish-pink flowers

Origin: altered (after heath) < ME (northern & Scot) haddyr, prob. < OE *hædre, parallel with clofre, clover, mædre, madder

adjective

  1. like heather in color or appearance
    1. muted; soft: said of colors
    2. marked with flecks of various colors: heather tones

Related Forms:

noun

a feminine name

See heather in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A low-growing Eurasian shrub (Calluna vulgaris) growing in dense masses and having small evergreen leaves and clusters of small, bell-shaped pinkish-purple flowers. Also called ling2.
  2. See heath.
  3. A grayish purple to purplish red.

Origin:

Origin: Alteration (influenced by heath)

Origin: of Middle English hather

Origin: , probably from Old English *hǣddre

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Related Forms:

  • heathˈer adjective

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