WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Hea"then
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [OE. hethen, AS. h, prop. an adj. fr. h heath, and orig., therefore, one who lives in the country or on the heaths and in the woods (cf. pagan, fr. pagus village); akin to OS. h, adj., D. heiden a heathen, G. heide, OHG. heidan, Icel. hei, adj., Sw. heden
Definition : 1. An individual of the pagan or unbelieving nations, or those which worship idols and do not acknowledge the true God; a pagan; an idolater.

2. An irreligious person. If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens. V. Knox. The heathen, as the term is used in the Scriptures, all people except the Jews; now used of all people except Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Ps. ii. 8.

Syn. -- Pagan; gentile. See Pagan.

pl. Heathens or collectively Heathen.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Hea"then
Part of Speech : a.
Definition : 1. Gentile; pagan; as, a heathen author. "The heathen philosopher." "All in gold, like heathen gods." Shak.

2. Barbarous; unenlightened; heathenish.

3. Irreligious; scoffing.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913