heather

n.

1. A low-growing Eurasian shrub (Calluna vulgaris) growing in dense masses and having small evergreen leaves and clusters of small, bell-shaped pinkish-purple flowers. Also called ling.
2. See heath (sense 1).
3. A grayish purple to purplish red.

[Alteration (influenced by HEATH) of Middle English hather, probably from Old English *hǣddre.]

heather heath'er adj.

For more information on heather, visit Britannica.com.

The idea that white heather is lucky reached England as part of a Victorian enthusiasm for Scottish traditions, and is now known everywhere. A winter-flowering variety is deliberately grown for sale on Burns Night in January, and Gypsies sell both real heather and substitutes in the streets of many English towns in summer (Vickery, 1995: 396-7).

A member of the plant family Ericaceae; called also heath. None of the native heathers of the UK, e.g. Erica cinerea, E. (Calluna) vulgaris, are poisonous but the exotic shrubs, Andromeda (see pieris) and kalmia, are.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - lyng

idioms:

• heather mixture    meleret klæde (lyngfarvet)

Nederlands (Dutch)
heide, heidekleurig

Français (French)
n. - bruyère

idioms:

• heather mixture    mixture de bruyère

Deutsch (German)
n. - Heidekraut, Erikarot

idioms:

• heather mixture    (in Heidefarben) gesprenkelter Stoff

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ρείκι, ερείκη

idioms:

• heather mixture    σκοτσέζικο ύφασμα

Italiano (Italian)
erica

idioms:

• heather mixture    tessuto in tinte d'erica

Português (Portuguese)
n. - urze (f) (Bot.)

idioms:

• heather mixture    mistura de arbustos com flores

Русский (Russian)
вереск, болото

idioms:

• heather mixture    пестрая шерстяная ткань

Español (Spanish)
n. - brezo

idioms:

• heather mixture    hilos entretejidos de varios colores

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ljung

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
石南花

idioms:

• heather mixture    杂色毛织品

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 石楠花

idioms:

• heather mixture    雜色毛織品

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 히스속의 식물

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ヘザー

idioms:

• heather mixture    混ぜ色織り

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الخلنج نبات‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אברש (שיח)‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.

Heather	heather rose
heather plant