conkers

/ ˈkɒŋkəz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a game in which a player swings a horse chestnut (conker), threaded onto a string, against that of another player to try to break it

Word History and Origins

Origin of conkers¹

C19: from dialect conker snail shell, originally used in the game

Example Sentences

There had been fears the event would be cancelled for only the third time in its history due to the hot, dry summer, which caused conkers to fall from trees early.

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Organiser Charles Whalley feared the lack of conkers could have cancelled the event, but he was now confident it would take place after receiving "emails from around the country" from people offering to supply them.

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"Billy Connolly has worked his conkers off to make it look like he's just thought something up," he says.

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The event saw participants go head-to-head using conkers threaded on to string to try and smash their opponent's nut.

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Recent storms had blown hundreds of conkers out of the trees, raising concerns that they might rot before the big day.

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