heather
/ˈheðə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈheðər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhe-t͟hər/ (ame, mw)
heather — noun
- heathersingular
- heathersplural
1. a low, spreading wild plant that covers large areas of hills and open countrysid
a low, spreading wild plant that covers large areas of hills and open countryside, with many small bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white.
The hillside was covered in purple heather as far as the eye could see.
collocation: covered in heather
Bees love the tiny flowers of heather that bloom in late summer.
bloom pattern: late summer
Mei-Lin pressed a sprig of heather between the pages of her journal.
Walking through the heather was like stepping into a soft purple carpet.
The gardener planted heather along the edge of the stone path for ground cover.
- heath
Heath can refer to the same plant, but more commonly describes the landscape of open shrubland where heather grows.
- ling
A less common name for the same plant (Calluna vulgaris), used mainly in British regional English.
- moorland shrub
A descriptive hypernym rather than a direct synonym; refers to any shrub growing on moorland.
用法筆記
Heather is an uncountable noun — you do not say 'a heather' as a single plant. Use 'a sprig of heather' or 'a patch of heather' for individual instances.
常見錯誤
heather — adjective
- heatherpositive
- heatherercomparative
- heatherestsuperlative
1. made of, coloured like, or having the soft, uneven texture of heather plants or
made of, coloured like, or having the soft, uneven texture of heather plants or heather flowers.
Yuki wore a heather-coloured jumper that matched the autumn hills.
common compound: heather-coloured
The heather carpet in the living room had flecks of pink and purple.
Arun chose a heather tweed jacket for the country wedding.
The textile mill produces heather yarn by blending different coloured fibres.
Noor's favourite scarf was a soft heather grey that went with everything.
- heathery
A synonym for 'resembling heather in colour or texture'; slightly less common than the compound forms like 'heather-coloured'.
- mottled
Describes a similar speckled pattern but without the specific reference to heather.
- flecked
Refers to small spots of colour on a background, similar to heather fabric.
用法筆記
The adjective is most often used in compounds describing fabric colours (heather grey, heather blue) or textured materials (heather tweed, heather knit).