chestnut

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A tree or shrub of the genus Castanea.
2. (UK, countable, uncountable) A horse-chestnut (Aesculus spp.).
3. (countable, uncountable) A nut of such trees or shrubs or of similar ones.
4. (uncountable) A dark, reddish-brown colour, as seen on the fruit of the chestnut tree.
5. (countable, uncountable) A reddish-brown horse.
6. (uncountable) Wood of a chestnut tree.
7. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) An old joke; a worn-out meme, phrase, ploy, etc. so often repeated as to have grown tiresome or ineffective (often in the phrase "old chestnut").
8. (countable, uncountable) A round or oval horny plate found on the inner side of the leg of a horse or other animal, similar to a birthmark on a human.

Adj

Of a deep reddish-brown colour, like that of a chestnut.

Synonyms

chestnut tree

sorrel

auburn

maroon

hazel

horse chestnut

brown

edible chestnut

horse-chestnut

chestnut moth

night

🌃

nutbrown

palomino

russet

bay

Spanish chestnut

castor

tawny

tree

🌳

water chestnut

Castanea

chestnut-colored

Joe Miller

light brown

reddish brown

European chestnut

Trapa bicornis Obs.

horn chestnut

chestnut-coloured

hazel-brown

sweet chestnut

chestnut brown

blow

Translations

marron

châtaigne

🌰

Kastanie

🌰

castagna

🌰

castaña

🌰

kastanje

🌰

châtaignier

🌰

castaño

castanha

castanya

🌰

Marone

kestane

🌰

castano

🌰

κάστανο

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈt͡ʃɛs.nʌt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: chesten

Inherited from Middle English: chesteyne

Inherited from Old English: ċisten

In summary

Formerly chesten nut, from Middle English chesten, Middle English chesteyne, chasteine, from Old English ċisten and reinforced by Old French chastaigne, both from Latin castānea, from Ancient Greek καστάνεια (kastáneia). Latin castānea also is the ultimate source of English castanet.