buckeye

American  

[buhk-ahy] / ˈbʌkˌaɪ /

noun

buckeyes plural

1. any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Aesculus, as A. glabra Ohio buckeye, having palmate leaves, gray, scaly bark, and bell-shaped greenish-yellow flowers in upright clusters: the state tree of Ohio.

2. the brown nut of any of these trees.

3. (initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Ohio (used as a nickname).

4. a butterfly, Precis lavinia, having dark-brown wings with purple or red eyespots.

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buckeye British  

/ ˈbʌkˌaɪ /

noun

1. any of several North American trees of the genus Aesculus , esp A. glabra (Ohio buckeye), having erect clusters of white or red flowers and prickly fruits: family Hippocastanaceae See also horse chestnut

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• buckeyes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of buckeye

An first recorded in 1755–65; buck ¹ “stag” + eye, originally used to designate buckeye def. 1, in reference to the look of the seed

Example Sentences

Sure, there was a California buckeye I adored at Descanso Gardens, but any place you had to pay to see a tree was out.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2024

Thunderstorms are as common as buckeye milkshakes, yet this week has a forecast of hot, dry weather through Sunday.

From Washington Times • May 31, 2023

“Look at that caterpillar,” Andrew J. Brand said one afternoon as we passed a hummocky old bottlebrush buckeye shrub in my garden.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

“How about ‘Dwayne Haskins, son, husband, buckeye brother, friend, beloved teammate has passed away,’” former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones wrote on Twitter.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2022

Every fifty yards there was another card sticking on a bush, or hanging from the branches of a madrone, or tacked to the trunk of a buckeye, and all of them said, “Welcome Home.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck