horse chestnut

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noun

a tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, native to the Old World, having digitate leaves and upright clusters of white flowers.

the shiny, brown, nutlike seed of this tree or of other trees of the genus Aesculus.

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Origin of horse chestnut

1590–1600; translation of New Latin castanea equīna; so named from its use in treating respiratory diseases of horses

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

How to use horse chestnut in a sentence

I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The poet apparently collapsed in the street upon his departure from “The Horse” and died not long after.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Horse You Came in On Saloon, Baltimore Horse-themed bars must be bad luck for famous authors.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That tweet came from Shay Horse, whose bio lists him as an independent photojournalist with ties to Occupy Wall Street.
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And the budget provides $697,000 to the “Horse Protection Act of 1970.”
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the mention of the Merrill Horse, Poindexter's countenance took on a demoniac expression.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
But you are mistaken in thinking the force west consists of the entire Merrill Horse.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
It was at this parliament that the famous acts against horse racing and deceitful gaming were passed.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Four years ago Hetton's horse had been first favourite, but it was ignominiously beaten.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
As the window dropped, Ripperda saw the wounded postilion fall on the neck of his horse.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for horse chestnut

horse chestnut

noun

any of several trees of the genus Aesculus, esp the Eurasian A. hippocastanum, having palmate leaves, erect clusters of white, pink, or red flowers, and brown shiny inedible nuts enclosed in a spiky bur: family Hippocastanaceae

Also called: conker the nut of this tree

Word Origin for horse chestnut

C16: so called from its having been used in the treatment of respiratory disease in horses

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