whin
[ win, hwin ]
nounChiefly British.
any thorny or prickly shrub, especially gorse.
Origin of whin
11375–1425; late Middle English whynne, apparently <Scandinavian; compare Icelandic hvīngras bent grass, Danish hvene,Swedish (h)ven
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for whin (1 of 2)
whin1
/ (wɪn) /
noun
another name for gorse
Origin of whin
1C11: from Scandinavian; compare Old Danish hvine (græs), Norwegian hvine, Swedish hven
British Dictionary definitions for whin (2 of 2)
whin2
/ (wɪn) /
noun
short for whinstone
Origin of whin
2C14: quin, of obscure origin
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
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