heather Definition
heather (het̸h′ər)
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
Etymology: altered (after heath) < ME (northern & Scot) haddyr, prob. < OE *hædre, parallel with clofre, clover, mædre, madder
adjective
- like heather in color or appearance
- muted; soft: said of colors
- marked with flecks of various colors heather tones
heather Related Forms
Heather Definition
Heath·er (het̸h′ər)
noun
a feminine name
heather Usage Examples
Preposition: on
fire: Well, for a start it's got a rubbish name - all weather alcohol cookset hardly sets the heather on fire.
Converse of subject
dominate: Where the soil is very acid, dune heath develops, often dominated by heather.
Adjective modifier
- purple: Later in the year purple heather stands out resplendent against the golden bracken.
- flowering: This is the first year we have had a strong show of flowering heather.
- giant: We carry on to John matte which is close to the river in a grove of Giant heather.
- thick: The trees became sparse and were replaced by tall, thick heather.
- mature: The traps were placed among mature heather on ground that is usually wet in winter.
- lucky: Sorry, that was a Gypsy girl who always sells me some lucky heather.
Modifies a noun
- moorland: Heather moorland covers about 40 % of the Park.
- moor: A few are ready in July but most are finished on the late summer pasture and meadows after earlier grazing the heather moors.
- honey: Mix the heather honey with the malt whiskey in a mixing bowl.
- ledge: The middle tier is divided by a diagonal heather ledge, running from bottom left to top right.
- thatch: Today a heather thatch can be seen at the Cragside estate.
- burning: Fire hazard is incr easing in some areas where there is insufficient heather burning.
Noun used with modifier
- ling: Local guides will map a hike through bog moss and ling heather or outfit you for a day of angling for Scottish salmon.
- bell: Today, this dry raised fan of material supports a rich heath vegetation dominated by bell heather which is home to the Red Grouse.
- tree: Prune young tree heathers by cutting off half of last year's growth; this ensures a shapely plant in future years.
Preposition: in
- bloom: Visit in August to see the heather in bloom.
- summer: Vivid broom in the spring, carpets of purple heather in high summer, ripening chestnuts in autumn - each season has unique qualities.
Preposition: of
age: Careful rotational heather burning by the gamekeeper maintains a mosaic of heather of variable age.
Browse dictionary entries near heather
- ‹ heathenize
- ‹ heathen
- ‹ heathbird
- ‹ heath hen
- ‹ heath cock
- ‹ heath aster
- ‹ heath
- ‹ heater
- ‹ heated
- ‹ heat wave
- heathy ›
- heating ›
- heating degree day ›
- heating oil ›
- heating pad ›
- heatstroke ›
- heaume ›
- heave ›
- heave-ho ›
- heaven ›

