ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ling

n.
US //ˈɫɪŋ// ling
  1. 1 a type of plant (n.)
    C2 Proficiency British English

    a low-growing plant with small purple flowers that grows on wild hills.

    a common species of heather, Calluna vulgaris, typically found on moors and heaths.

    Example

    The hills were covered in purple ling during the late summer months.

    Example

    The vast expanses of the Scottish Highlands are famous for their carpets of ling, which provide essential habitat for local wildlife.
  2. 2 linguistics (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a short, casual way to say 'linguistics' — the study of language.

    an informal clipping of linguistics, used primarily within academic or student contexts.

    Example

    She decided to take an intro to ling course in her first year of university.

    Example

    The department offers several joint honours degrees, allowing students to combine ling with modern languages or psychology.
Etymology 1

From Middle English lenge, from Middle French leynge (compare French lingue), from Middle Dutch *lenge (modern Dutch leng). Cognate with Old Norse langa. Probably related to long.

Etymology 2

From Middle English lyng, from Old Norse lyng.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026