heather
/ˈhɛðə
/noun [mass noun]
1A purple-flowered Eurasian heath that grows abundantly on moorland and heathland. Many ornamental varieties have been developed. Also called ling1.
- Calluna vulgaris, family Ericaceae (the heather family). This family includes the rhododendrons and azaleas as well as the bilberries and many other berry-bearing dwarf shrubs.
- Have you ever investigated all the available varieties of heaths and heathers?
- Skimmias also like to grow in slightly acid soil, making them superb companions for the heathers and ivies of your choice.
1.1 informal Any plant of the Ericaceae family similar to heather; a heath.
Derivatives
heathery
- There are warm heathery notes of the toasted Languedoc soil among the bright strawberry and plum tones.
- This is a wine that Ryanair needs to watch out for: it can transport you in a Proustian rush to the dry, heathery heat of an evening north of Carcassonne for less than £9 return.
- Even tweeds and heathery mixtures camouflage soil.
Origin
Old English hadre, hedre (recorded in place names), of unknown origin. The word was chiefly Scots until the 16th century; the change in the first syllable in the 18th century was due to association with heath.