I. ˈhēthən adjective
Etymology: Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣthen, adjective & noun; akin to Old High German heidan, adjective, heathen, heidano, n., Old Norse heithinn, adjective, heathen, Gothic haithno heathen woman, probably derivatives from the root of English heath (land)
1. : of or relating to the heathen, their religions, or their customs : pagan , unenlightened
2. : strange , unfamiliar , foreign
II. noun
( plural heathens or heathen )
Etymology: Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣthen
1.
a. : an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible : pagan
I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance — Ps 2:8 (Authorized Version)
b. biblical : idolater , gentile
2.
a. : a person whose culture or enlightenment is of an inferior grade ; especially : an irreligious person
b. : a person felt to resemble a heathen (as in nonconformity or ignorance)
a grand old heathen who made his own place in life