conker

[ kong-ker, kawng- ]

/ ˈkɒŋ kər, ˈkɔŋ- /

noun British Informal.

a horse chestnut.

the hollowed-out shell of a horse chestnut.

conkers, a game in which a child swings a horse chestnut on a string in an attempt to break that of another player.

Nearby words

conjurer, conjuring, conjuror, conk, conk out, conker, conkers, conkling, conkling, roscoe, conlang, conlanger

Origin of conker

1840–50; probably orig. conquer; compare conquering a game played with snail shells (the name of the game presumably later transferred to the playing pieces)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conker

Me, with my commishun pinned onto a banner, and under it written, “In this Sign we Conker.”
Swingin Round the Cirkle.|Petroleum V. Nasby
Perseveranse will conker enny thing but muskeeters; the only way tew conker them iz tew bak out.
The Complete Works of Josh Billings|Henry W. Shaw

British Dictionary definitions for conker

conker

/ (ˈkɒŋkə) /

noun

an informal name for horse chestnut (def. 2)

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

Word Origin and History for conker

conker

"snail shell," also "horse chestnut," from children's game of conkers (q.v.).