ling
    n 1: water chestnut whose spiny fruit has two rather than 4
         prongs [syn: ling, ling ko, Trapa bicornis]
    2: common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low
       evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere [syn:
       heather, ling, Scots heather, broom, Calluna
       vulgaris]
    3: elongated marine food fish of Greenland and northern Europe;
       often salted and dried [syn: ling, Molva molva]
    4: American hakes
    5: elongate freshwater cod of northern Europe and Asia and North
       America having barbels around its mouth [syn: burbot,
       eelpout, ling, cusk, Lota lota]

Heath \Heath\ (h[=e]th), n. [OE. heth waste land, the plant
   heath, AS. h[=ae][eth]; akin to D. & G. heide, Icel.
   hei[eth]r waste land, Dan. hede, Sw. hed, Goth. hai[thorn]i
   field, L. bucetum a cow pasture; cf. W. coed a wood, Skr.
   ksh[=e]tra field. [root]20.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A low shrub (Erica vulgaris or Calluna vulgaris),
          with minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of
          pink flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms,
          thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It
          is also called heather, and ling.
      (b) Also, any species of the genus Erica, of which
          several are European, and many more are South African,
          some of great beauty. See Illust. of Heather.
          [1913 Webster]

   2. A place overgrown with heath; any cheerless tract of
      country overgrown with shrubs or coarse herbage.
      [1913 Webster]

            Their stately growth, though bare,
            Stands on the blasted heath.          --Milton
      [1913 Webster]

   Heath cock (Zool.), the blackcock. See Heath grouse
      (below).

   Heath grass (Bot.), a kind of perennial grass, of the genus
      Triodia (Triodia decumbens), growing on dry heaths.

   Heath grouse, or Heath game (Zool.), a European grouse
      (Tetrao tetrix), which inhabits heaths; -- called also
      black game, black grouse, heath poult, heath fowl,
      moor fowl. The male is called heath cock, and
      blackcock; the female, heath hen, and gray hen.

   Heath hen. (Zool.) See Heath grouse (above).

   Heath pea (Bot.), a species of bitter vetch (Lathyrus
      macrorhizus), the tubers of which are eaten, and in
      Scotland are used to flavor whisky.

   Heath throstle (Zool.), a European thrush which frequents
      heaths; the ring ouzel.
      [1913 Webster]

-ling \-ling\ (-l[i^]ng) suff. [AS. -ling.]
   A noun suffix, commonly having a diminutive or a depreciatory
   force; as in duckling, gosling, hireling, fosterling,
   firstling, underling.
   [1913 Webster]

-ling \-ling\
   An adverbial suffix; as, darkling, flatling.
   [1913 Webster]

Ling \Ling\ (l[i^]ng), n. [OE. lenge; akin to D. leng, G.
   l[aum]nge, Dan. lange, Sw. l[*a]nga, Icel. langa. So named
   from its being long. See Long, a.] (Zool.)
   (a) A large, marine, gadoid fish (Molva vulgaris) of
       Northern Europe and Greenland. It is valued as a food
       fish and is largely salted and dried. Called also
       drizzle.
   (b) The burbot of Lake Ontario.
   (c) An American hake of the genus Phycis. [Canada]
   (d) A New Zealand food fish of the genus Genypterus. The
       name is also locally applied to other fishes, as the
       cultus cod, the mutton fish, and the cobia.
       [1913 Webster]

Ling \Ling\, n. [Icel. lyng; akin to Dan. lyng, Sw. ljung.]
   (Bot.)
   Heather (Calluna vulgaris).
   [1913 Webster]

   Ling honey, a sort of wild honey, made from the flowers of
      the heather. --Holland.
      [1913 Webster] Linga

Burbot \Bur"bot\, n. [F. barbote, fr. barbe beard. See 1st
   Barb.] (Zool.)
   A fresh-water fish of the genus Lota, having on the nose
   two very small barbels, and a larger one on the chin.
   [Written also burbolt.]
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: The fish is also called an eelpout or ling, and is
         allied to the codfish. The Lota vulgaris is a common
         European species. An American species (Lota maculosa)
         is found in New England, the Great Lakes, and farther
         north.
         [1913 Webster]

Eelpout \Eel"pout`\, n. [AS. ?lepute.] (Zo["o]l.)
   (a) A European fish (Zoarces viviparus), remarkable for
       producing living young; -- called also greenbone,
       guffer, bard, and Maroona eel. Also, an American
       species (Z. anguillaris), -- called also mutton fish,
       and, erroneously, congo eel, ling, and lamper eel.
       Both are edible, but of little value.
   (b) A fresh-water fish, the burbot.
       [1913 Webster]