heath

[heeth] /hiθ/

noun

a tract of open and uncultivated land; wasteland overgrown with shrubs.

any of various low-growing evergreen shrubs common on such land, as the common heather, Calluna vulgaris.

any plant of the genus Erica, or of the family Ericaceae.

Origin

before 900; Middle English; Old English hǣth; cognate with German Heide, Old Norse heithr, Gothic haithi; akin to Welsh coed trees, wood

Related forms

heathless, adjective

heathlike, adjective

Can be confused

health, heath.

Heath

[heeth] /hiθ/

noun

Sir Edward (Richard George) 1916–2005, British statesman: prime minister 1970–74.

Examples from the web for heath

Early on he abducts heath, resulting in his serving the masked mage.
This is mostly due to housing developments in the short heath and new invention areas.
Woodlands primary located in the short heath area of the town, very near to lane head.
For a list of these see there is also a long history of kite flying on the heath.

British Dictionary definitions for heath

heath

/hiːθ/

noun

(Brit) a large open area, usually with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation, esp heather

Also called heather. any low-growing evergreen ericaceous shrub of the Old World genus Erica and related genera, having small bell-shaped typically pink or purple flowers

any of several nonericaceous heathlike plants, such as sea heath

(Austral) any of various heathlike plants of the genus Epacris: family Epacridaceae

any of various small brown satyrid butterflies of the genus Coenonympha, with coppery-brown wings, esp the large heath (C. tullia)

Derived Forms

heathlike, adjective
heathy, adjective

Word Origin

Old English hǣth; related to Old Norse heithr field, Old High German heida heather

Heath

/hiːθ/

noun

Sir Edward (Richard George). 1916–2005, British statesman; leader of the Conservative Party (1965–75); prime minister (1970–74)

Word Origin and History for heath

Old English hæð "untilled land, tract of wasteland," earlier "heather," influenced by Old Norse heiðr "field," from Proto-Germanic *haithiz (cf. Old Saxon hetha, Old High German heida "heather," Dutch heide "heath," Gothic haiþi "field"), from PIE *kaito "forest, uncultivated land" (cf. Old Irish ciad, Welsh coed, Breton coet "wood, forest").

heath in the Bible

Heb. 'arar, (Jer. 17:6; 48:6), a species of juniper called by the Arabs by the same name ('arar), the Juniperus sabina or savin. "Its gloomy, stunted appearance, with its scale-like leaves pressed close to its gnarled stem, and cropped close by the wild goats, as it clings to the rocks about Petra, gives great force to the contrast suggested by the prophet, between him that trusteth in man, naked and destitute, and the man that trusteth in the Lord, flourishing as a tree planted by the waters" (Tristram, Natural History of the Bible).