noun
Uncommon
heath
heeth
Heath (noun) means an open, uncultivated stretch of land, typically with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather. Example: “They walked across the heath as the sun set.”
noun
1
An open, uncultivated stretch of land, typically with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather.
"They walked across the heath as the sun set."
"Wild ponies grazed on the open heath behind the village."
"The wind blew hard across the empty heath, and no tree gave any shelter."
2
Any of several small evergreen shrubs, especially in the heather family.
"There was nobody living in Jim's old house, and some of the windows was broken; but there was heath growing back and front."
— GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page (1974)
"Purple heath covered the hillside in late summer."
"Bees were buzzing around the pink heath in the rock garden."
"She planted a small heath beside the path because it stays green all winter."
How to use heath
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWild open moorland, or the low shrubs that grow on it.
Common pairings
open heath
across the heath
heath and moorland
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like heath.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- heaths
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They walked across the _____ as the sun set.
Etymology
From Old English hǣþ, an old Germanic word for wild, untilled land — the same root that gives us "heather" and "heathen" (originally "one who lives on the heath").
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for heath
See all rhymes for heath →Frequently asked questions
What does “heath” mean?
The word “heath” means an open, uncultivated stretch of land, typically with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather. In plain terms, wild open moorland, or the low shrubs that grow on it.
How do you pronounce “heath”?
“Heath” is pronounced heeth (/hiːθ/ in IPA).
How do you use “heath” in a sentence?
Here is “heath” used in a sentence: “They walked across the heath as the sun set.”
What is another word for “heath”?
Words with a similar meaning to “heath” include heather.
What part of speech is “heath”?
“Heath” is a noun.
Where does the word “heath” come from?
The word “heath” comes from Old English. From Old English hǣþ, an old Germanic word for wild, untilled land — the same root that gives us "heather" and "heathen" (originally "one who lives on the heath").
Is “heath” a common word?
“Heath” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “heath” have?
“Heath” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an open, uncultivated stretch of land, typically with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather.
What is the difference between a heath and a moor?
A heath is an open, uncultivated stretch of land with sandy soil and low shrubs like heather, while a moor is typically higher, wetter, and more open ground, often with peaty soil. The two overlap in appearance and are sometimes used interchangeably, but moors tend to be found at higher elevations.
Is heath the same as heather?
Not exactly: heath refers to the type of open land itself, or to small evergreen shrubs in the heather family growing there, while heather specifically refers to one such shrub. Heather is one of the plants typically found growing on a heath.
Why is heath associated with the plant heather?
Heath land is named partly for the low evergreen shrubs, including heather, that typically grow across it. Because heather is so common on these landscapes, the terms heath and heather are closely linked, with heath also used as a plant name for related shrubs.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include heath:
