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

Noun Inflected Forms

• 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

See Examples For:

buckeye buckeyes

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

Smiling, she put her hand in her pocket and held out a big buckeye.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Boroditsky, a certified arborist, said the site still has lots of native trees, like buckeyes, walnut and oaks, that may have been trimmed to conform to clearance rules but that were not removed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024

Or Cooper’s friend Frana Milan who makes Ohio-famous buckeyes each year.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 25, 2022

He had sensed, wrongly, that union trustbusting was as much in demand among the buckeyes as the badgers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2015

He’ll also throw in some buckeyes - the chocolate and peanut butter candies, not the poisonous nuts.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 8, 2015

Now there were long periods when he heard nothing except the wind in the trees and the plop of buckeyes on the earth.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison