heather

1 of 2

noun

heath·​er ˈhe-t͟hər 

: heath sense 2a

especially : a common Eurasian heath (Calluna vulgaris) of northern and alpine regions that has small crowded sessile leaves and racemes of tiny usually purplish-pink flowers and is naturalized in the northeastern U.S.

heather

2 of 2

adjective

: heathery

Examples of heather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Plus, its soothing palette of pale woods, creamy whites, and heather grays certainly doesn’t get in the way of creativity. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2025

That is because in Orkney the peat is predominantly heather, which creates distinctive sweet smokey notes compared to the peat found in the highlands and different again to that of Islay. —Mark Littler, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Adjective

These heather grey sweats from Skims are supremely soft–and stylish, too! —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025

Choose from heather gray or black and get a hat that’s warm while still being breathable. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English (northern) hather

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1615, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heather

noun

heath·​er

ˈhet͟h-ər

: heath sense 1

especially : a common evergreen heath of northern and alpine regions with very small stemless leaves and tiny usually purplish pink flowers

heathery

-(ə-)rē

adjective