Main Entry:

heath

Pronunciation:

\ˈhēth\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English heth, from Old English hǣth; akin to Old High German heida heather, Old Welsh coit forest

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: a tract of wasteland b: an extensive area of rather level open uncultivated land usually with poor coarse soil, inferior drainage, and a surface rich in peat or peaty humus2 a: any of a family (Ericaceae, the heath family) of shrubby dicotyledonous and often evergreen plants that thrive on open barren usually acid and ill-drained soil ; especially : an evergreen subshrub of either of two genera (Erica and Calluna) with whorls of needlelike leaves and clusters of small flowers b: any of various plants that resemble true heaths

— heath·less \-ləs\ adjective

— heath·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— heathy \ˈhē-thē\ adjective