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| n. See gorse. [Middle English whinne, probably of Old Norse origin and akin to Icelandic hvin- in hvingras, redtop (since gorse and bentgrasses such as redtop grow in clumps on moors); further akin to Danish hvene, bentgrass, and dialectal Swedish hven, bentgrass, swamp, both ultimately of unknown origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
| n. A whinstone. [Middle English quin (attested with the spelling of the sound hw- as qu- as usual in Scottish and northern English sources), of unknown origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
