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
Noun
In 2003, Piet Oudolf, whose subtly layered plantings of grasses and unusual shrubs give Manhattan’s High Line its shimmering magic, created a dark earth pathway that snakes through the property, with banks of thistles and echinacea Julia rising like steep heather moors on either side. Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 There are plenty of colors to choose from, too, including olive green, heather gray, and pink. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 The pullover is available in sizes S–XXL in four colors including black heather and underwater blue. Monica Bell, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 This local nonprofit has welcomed floral-loving guests since the ‘60s, and visitors can expect to see collections of rhododendrons, heathers, camellia, begonias, magnolias, fuchsias, and even wild mushrooms, depending on the season. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024 Blood flows darkly and scenes are lighted by flame: a raging fire on the field as Ludvig and his outlaw workers burn the heather, blazing candelabras illuminating an intimidating manor dinner, feeble lamplight beating back the foggy night as Ludvig battles the dirt with his bare hands. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Blood flows darkly and scenes are lit by flame: a raging fire on the field as Ludvig and his outlaw workers burn the heather; blazing candelabras illuminating an intimidating manor dinner; feeble lamplight beating back the foggy night as Ludvig battles the dirt with his bare hands. Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 We were meant to go on a walk together over Christmas, to Brimham Rocks or maybe Ilkley Moor, where there are rocks in the shape of a cow and a calf, and all this heather crawling over the hillside that someone always sets fire to in summer with a disposable BBQ. Annie Lord, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2024 The classic silhouette is available in black, heather gray, moss green, navy, camel, and, my personal favorite, mauve. Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2023
Adjective
The retired Manchester United star donned a dark grey coat to contrast against his wife's heather gray blazer during London Fashion Week in 2019. 07 of 10 Synced Up In honor of their 22nd wedding anniversary, David shared a carousel of matching moments with his style-savvy wife. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 4 Oct. 2023 On top, Rocky wore a white collared shirt underneath a simple, heather gray top, and layered a boxy tartan suit jacket over both. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 4 Oct. 2023 Malek tied together his blue jeans and black shirt ensemble with a heather gray coat. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 The multi-hyphenate wore her heather gray blazer tucked into an elastic-band skirt with tiers of fringe accents. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 4 May 2023 The heather gray looks fresh and luxurious (and could almost pass for Eberjey). Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2023 The pillows and blankets, which range in price from $275–$345 to $595–$695, respectively, come in off-white, heather taupe, coastal, and charcoal. Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, 28 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 Mar. 2024.

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

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