definitions

horse chestnut

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.

RELATED CONTENT

What Does 🌰 Chestnut Emoji Mean?The chestnut emoji is sometimes referred to as the raisin emoji because it is so often mistaken for one—especially on small screens and on digital platforms where the nut is very dark brown.
READ MORE
Before X Was X: The Dark Horse Story Of The 24th LetterSince its inception, the letter X has struggled to establish its own identity, so it may be no coincidence that X is commonly used to represent the unknown in both language and mathematics. But, how was it created?
READ MORE

Nearby words

horse around, horse balm, horse bean, horse block, horse brass, horse chestnut, horse clam, horse conch, horse corn, horse fly, horse gentian

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. 2019

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