1
: a horse chestnut especially when used in conkers
2
conkers plural : a game in which each player swings a horse chestnut on a string to try to break one held by the opponent

Examples of conker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Following the revelation by his mother that Louis was avidly gathering conkers as a favorite autumn activity, the World Conker Championships extended an offer for the prince to become the event's honorary patron. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Two players square off in an effort to try to break each other’s conker with their own. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

conch + -er entry 2, from the original use of a snail shell on a string in the game

First Known Use

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conker was circa 1886

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conker. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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