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Added 5 October 2026

heather

/ˈhɛðə/ noun

Categories: PlantsDescribing WordsUncommon Words

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about heather at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. An evergreen plant, Calluna vulgaris, with spiky leaves and small purple, pink, or white flowers.
  2. A plant in the family Ericaceae.
  3. Various species of the genus Erica.

adjective

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

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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