horse chestnut

noun

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

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

horse chestnut

noun

1. 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

2. Also called: conker. the nut of this tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of horse chestnut¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of horse chestnut¹

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

Example Sentences

Known as a 'false autumn' - the leaves on some trees such as horse chestnut have already turned brown and dropped in response to the stress of drought.

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White and purple irises line the paths beneath ancient horse chestnuts in full flower.

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Mr Jakins, a conker competitor since 1977, denied using a steel horse chestnut at any point in the tournament, and said he kept a steel conker on him for "humour value".

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There were fears before the event that there could be a shortage of conkers due to high winds blowing horse chestnut seeds from trees earlier in the autumn.

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Organisers of the World Conker Championships in Southwick in Northamptonshire say there are enough horse chestnut seeds for this year's tournament.

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