chestnut

[ ches-nuht, -nuht ]

/ ˈtʃɛsˌnʌt, -nət /

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See synonyms for: chestnut / chestnuts on Thesaurus.com

Definition of chestnut

noun

any of the several deciduous trees constituting the genus Castanea, of the beech family, having toothed, oblong leaves and bearing edible nuts enclosed in a prickly bur, and including C. dentata(American chestnut ), which has been virtually destroyed by the chestnut blight, C. sativa(European chestnut ),C. mollissima(Chinese chestnut ), and C. crenata(Japanese chestnut ).

the edible nut of such a tree.

the wood of any of these trees.

any fruit or tree resembling the chestnut, as the horse chestnut.

reddish brown.

an old or stale joke, anecdote, etc.

the callosity on the inner side of the leg of a horse.

a reddish-brown horse having the mane and tail of the same color.Compare bay⁵ (def. 2).

Also called liver chestnut. a horse of a solid, dark-brown color.

adjective

being reddish-brown in color.

(of food) containing or made with chestnuts: turkey with chestnut stuffing.

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Idioms about chestnut

pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire, to rescue someone from a difficulty.

Origin of chestnut

1350–1400; 1880–85 for def. 6; earlier chesten nut,Middle English chesten,Old English cysten chestnut tree (<Latin castanea<Greek kastanéa) + nut

OTHER WORDS FROM chestnut

chestnutty, adjective

Words nearby chestnut

chesterbed, chesterfield, Chesterfieldian, Chesterton, Chester White, chestnut, chestnut blight, chestnut bottle, chestnut coal, chestnut oak, chest of drawers

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chestnut in a sentence

A new play version from London of the chestnut “A Christmas Carol” was runner-up, with five awards.
Tony Awards 2021: ‘Moulin Rouge’ wins best musical, and ‘The Inheritance’ snags best play|Peter Marks|September 27, 2021|Washington Post
Whether we’ll be drinking soda sweetened with chestnut syrup anytime soon remains to be seen.
Mixing trees and crops can help both farmers and the climate|Jonathan Lambert|July 14, 2021|Science News
Molly was a chestnut saddlebred, prone to shying and taking off at a gallop and pinning her ears and snapping at other horses.
Navigating the World with a Terrible Sense of Direction|awise|July 12, 2021|Outside Online
They say that whatever you’re doing on New Year’s is what you’ll be doing for the rest of the year, and in the case of The Circle, that chestnut proved spookily accurate.
The Best TV Shows of 2021 So Far|Judy Berman|May 21, 2021|Time

Along the way, Amar delivers brilliant chestnuts of interpretation, arguing for instance that revolutionary Americans experimented with ideas that anticipated some elements of the British dominion system.
How a decades-long conversation shaped the young United States|Kenneth Mack|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
Spoiler: you may think twice before getting another Grande Chestnut Praline Latte.
What's Really In That Holiday Drink?|The Daily Beast Video|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Chestnut was last, carried on a yellow chariot through a sea of adoring fans.
How to Stomach a Hot Dog Eating Contest|Robert Silverman|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Joey Chestnut nearly lost his seven-year grip on the craziest, wildest, most awesome competitive eating experience in the world.
How to Stomach a Hot Dog Eating Contest|Robert Silverman|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After topping Chestnut numerous times this season, and based on his early pace it looks like David might actually trump Goliath.
How to Stomach a Hot Dog Eating Contest|Robert Silverman|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The animal was so underfed that his ribs were showing under his lusterless chestnut coat.
Central Park’s Carriages Saved This Horse|Michael Daly|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alas, its colour was other than the deep chestnut bronze of Georgie Haggard's.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Jess' chestnut hair was long and silky and nicely braided, but she never murmured as it came off too.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
As it was, he could not resist opening one eye the slightest crack to see the bright chestnut hair as it passed out of sight.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
"Hal" and "Teddy" and "Chestnut" are very tired for they have been pulling the plough, the wagon, or doing some farm work all day.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
The three happy children could see them way up in the old chestnut tree over on the edge of their neighbour's wood.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for chestnut

chestnut

/ (ˈtʃɛsˌnʌt) /

noun

any N temperate fagaceous tree of the genus Castanea, such as C. sativa (sweet or Spanish chestnut), which produce flowers in long catkins and nuts in a prickly burCompare horse chestnut, water chestnut, dwarf chestnut

the edible nut of any of these trees

the hard wood of any of these trees, used in making furniture, etc

a reddish-brown to brown colour
(as adjective)chestnut hair

a horse of a yellow-brown or golden-brown colour

a small horny callus on the inner surface of a horse's leg

informal an old or stale joke

Word Origin for chestnut

C16: from earlier chesten nut: chesten, from Old French chastaigne, from Latin castanea, from Greek kastanea

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with chestnut

chestnut

see old chestnut.

chestnut

Definition of chestnut

Idioms about chestnut

Origin of chestnut

OTHER WORDS FROM chestnut

Words nearby chestnut

Words related to chestnut

How to use chestnut in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chestnut

Word Origin for chestnut

Other Idioms and Phrases with chestnut