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Synonyms

heath

1 American  
[heeth] / hiθ /

noun

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

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

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

Heath 2 American  
[heeth] / hiθ /

noun

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

heath 1 British  
/ hiːθ /

noun

  1. a large open area, usually with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation, esp heather

  2. 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

  3. any of several nonericaceous heathlike plants, such as sea heath

  4. any of various heathlike plants of the genus Epacris : family Epacridaceae

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Heath 2 British  
/ hiːθ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • heathless adjective
  • heathlike adjective
  • heathy adjective

Etymology

Origin of heath

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Demi Lovato is making some changes to their upcoming tour in order to prioritize their heath.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 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

Three USC researchers analyzed national health data from more than 44,000 adults surveyed between 1999 and 2020 in a well-known national heath study known as NHANES.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2025

He treks for six hours across the heath in the snow and the rain to get to the train.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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.