heath / hē[unvoicedth]/ • n. 1. an area of open uncultivated land, esp. in Britain, with characteristic vegetation of heather, gorse, and coarse grasses. ∎  Ecol. vegetation dominated by dwarf shrubs of the heath family: [as adj.] heath vegetation. 2. a dwarf shrub with small leathery leaves and small pink or purple bell-shaped flowers, characteristic of heathland and moorland. • Erica and related genera, family Ericaceae (the heath family): many species, including the common European cross-leaved heath (E. tetralix).DERIVATIVES: heath·y adj.

heath1 open waste land. OE. hǣð, corr, to OS. hētha, MLG., MDu. hēde, MHG. heide (Du., G. heide), ON. heiōe, Goth. haiþi :- Gmc. *χaiþiz :- IE. *kait-, repr. also by Gaul. cēto- in place-names, OW. coit (W. coed) wood, forest.