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.
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
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 )
before 900; Middle English; Old English hǣth; cognate with German Heide, Old Norse heithr, Gothic haithi; akin to Welsh coed trees, wood
Heath is open land with low growing grasses and plants. If you travel to England, you can drive out in the countryside to see the heath that you've read about in novels. An open, sandy field of low shrubs and scrubby plants like gorse and heather is called a heath. Another word for this kind of uncultivated countryside is moor. A particular evergreen shrub is also called a heath; it's a low-growing plant with purplish flowers that commonly grows on, you guessed it, a heath. The Old English root of heath is the word hǣth, which means "wasteland."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This also prompted protected species, such as woodlark and nightjar, to breed successfully on the restored heath.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
GP practices have been sending out texts and some parents have received a letter from the heath board via their children's schools.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
Santa Margarita beat Centennial earlier this season 33-27 in overtime in a game Logan missed because of a heath scare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
A Sussex health trust is reminding students of its texting-based mental heath support scheme ahead of exam results day.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025
It didn’t look too hard, Christopher thought—he was a strong climber, had climbed all the trees on the heath at home when he was younger.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Emma Thomas, Nolan’s producing partner and wife, later recalled that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on “The Dark Knight.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
We've chosen Hampstead Heath because it's one of Rodrigo's favourite places in London – an open space where she can generally walk around without being bothered.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Details of the conviction were not aired during the campaign, which saw Beck elected to represent the Thatto Heath ward on St Helens Council.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
The Bruins’ veteran pitcher responded by striking out the Gamecocks’ Tate Davis and Natalie Heath to close the inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026
At the edge of Hampstead Heath we heard a policeman’s heavy tramp, and laying the child on the pathway, we waited and watched until he saw it as he flashed his lantern to and fro.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Using the PCR method that most people are familiar with from viral testing, the researchers found Mycena in samples of living trees in forests, meadows and Arctic mountain heaths around the world.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2023
Over the last 70 years, 98% of wildflower meadows in England and Wales have been destroyed; three-quarters of ponds and heaths have vanished; half the remaining fragments of ancient woods have been obliterated.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 13, 2020
These sites represented both natural habitats, such as lowland savannahs and alpine heaths, and habitats that had been heavily affected by human activity, including cropland and logged forests.
From Nature ● Mar. 26, 2019
In his new work , Bieito has combed the Bard's complete works for mentions of trees, heaths and woodland.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2012
During the entire walk, across the heaths and fens near Cambridge, Lessing did all the talking; Watson said not one word.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
