Heather : (noun)
1: common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low
evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere [syn:
ling, Scots heather, broom, Calluna vulgaris]
2: interwoven yarns of mixed colors producing muted grayish
shades with flecks of color [syn: heather mixture]
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Heath \Heath\, n. [OE. heth waste land, the plant heath, AS.
h??; akin to D. & G. heide, Icel. hei?r waste land, Dan.
hede, Sw. hed, Goth. haipi field, L. bucetum a cow pasture;
cf. W. coed a wood, Skr. ksh?tra field. [root]20.]
1. (Bot.)
(a) A low shrub ({Erica, or Calluna, vulgaris), with
minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of pink
flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms,
thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It
is also called heather, and ling.
(b) Also, any species of the genus Erica, of which
several are European, and many more are South African,
some of great beauty. See Illust. of Heather.
2. A place overgrown with heath; any cheerless tract of
country overgrown with shrubs or coarse herbage.
Their stately growth, though bare, Stands on the
blasted heath. --Milton
Heath cock (Zo["o]l.), the blackcock. See Heath grouse
(below).
Heath grass (Bot.), a kind of perennial grass, of the genus
Triodia_({T._decumbens">Triodia ({T. decumbens), growing on dry heaths.
Heath grouse, or Heath game (Zo["o]l.), a European grouse
({Tetrao tetrix), which inhabits heats; -- called also
black game, black grouse, heath poult, heath fowl,
moor fowl. The male is called, heath cock, and
blackcock; the female, heath hen, and gray hen.
Heath hen. (Zo["o]l.) See Heath grouse (above).
Heath pea (bot.), a species of bitter vetch ({Lathyris
macrorhizus), the tubers of which are eaten, and in
Scotland are used to flavor whisky.
Heath throstle (Zo["o]l.), a European thrush which
frequents heaths; the ring ouzel.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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