whin

[ win, hwin ]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. any thorny or prickly shrub, especially gorse.

whin

¹

/ wɪn /

noun

1. another name for gorse

whin

²

/ wɪn /

noun

1. short for whinstone

Word History and Origins

Origin of whin¹

1375–1425; late Middle English whynne, apparently < Scandinavian; compare Icelandic hvīngras bent grass, Danish hvene, Swedish ( h ) ven

Word History and Origins

Origin of whin¹

C11: from Scandinavian; compare Old Danish hvine ( græs ), Norwegian hvine, Swedish hven

Origin of whin²

C14: quin, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

From 2020 to 2024, there were no prosecutions at courts for the offence "burning whins in closed season", but the setting of gorse fires more generally can be prosecuted as arson.

From BBC

Clumps of heather were up to my knees and the yellow-tipped whin was up to my chest, and I was up to here with my sheep because the little dumplings had wandered away.”

From Washington Post

It was a quiet ride with nothing but the whin whin of the air conditioner, a ssssss that sounded more like air leaking out of something than seeping into it.

From Literature

It was rough and broken, fading to a winding track between heather and whin that thrust amid the cracking stones.

From Literature

"Shure, you promised right there where we were whin I got away from her," said Dennis, as he stopped abruptly and looked into the face of his companion.

From Project Gutenberg