heather

1 of 2

noun

heath·​er ˈhe-t͟hər How to pronounce heather (audio)
: 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

Examples of heather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for heather 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of heather was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near heather

Cite this Entry

“Heather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heather. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on heather

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!