chestnut

noun

chest·nut | \ ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət

Definition of chestnut

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : any of a genus (Castanea) of trees or shrubs of the beech family especially : an American tree (C. dentata) that was formerly a dominant or codominant member of many deciduous forests of the eastern U.S. but has now been largely eliminated by the chestnut blight and seldom grows beyond the shrub or sapling stage

b : the edible nut of a chestnut

c : the wood of a chestnut

2 : a grayish to reddish brown

3 : horse chestnut

4 : a chestnut-colored animal specifically : a horse having a body color of any shade of pure or reddish brown with mane, tail, and points of the same or a lighter shade — compare bay entry 2 sense 1, sorrel entry 1 sense 1

5 : a callosity on the inner side of the leg of the horse — see horse illustration

6a : an old joke or story

b : something (such as a musical piece or a saying) repeated to the point of staleness

chestnut

adjective

Definition of chestnut (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of the color chestnut

2 : of, relating to, or resembling a chestnut

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about chestnut

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of chestnut in a Sentence

Noun

an op-ed piece that's offers nothing but warmed-over chestnuts for solving the city's financial woes

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Roasted over coals and piled into paper cones, a stack of chestnuts goes for about five euro. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "A Culture Editor's Impulse Buys: $200 of Potions, Swedish Sweets, and More," 7 Jan. 2019 Roasting removes the shell and richens the flavor of chestnuts. — House Beautiful, "Laura Pensiero's Roasted Maple Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Chestnuts," 30 Sep. 2012 Emilia Clarke also debuted a short chestnut brown hair color on the red carpet, having dyed it back from blonde. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Charlize Theron Just Debuted New Brown Hair at the Oscars," 25 Feb. 2019 The divergence is reflected in the landscape, where lavender and fig and olive trees in the southern part give way to oak, chestnuts and almonds in the north. — New York Times, "Reviving Ancient Spanish Vineyards, Building New Traditions," 24 May 2018 Nicholas Hoel’s forefathers plant an American chestnut in Iowa. — Jenni Laidman, chicagotribune.com, "A dazzlingly narrated edition of 'The Overstory' by Richard Powers leads the audiobooks roundup," 7 May 2018 In a food processor, process chestnuts to form fine crumbs; transfer half to a bowl. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "100+ Easy Dessert Recipes," 15 Jan. 2019 Process reserved chestnut crumbs, ricotta, and melted chocolate 3 minutes. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "100+ Easy Dessert Recipes," 15 Jan. 2019 Staff in kimonos tuck each pair into bamboo and chestnut cubbies lining the long entryway, and guests walk barefoot into an almost achingly detailed interior, where tradition slips into every nook. — Keith Flanagan, Condé Nast Traveler, "35 Best Hotels in Tokyo," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chestnut.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about chestnut

Dictionary Entries near chestnut

chestnut-backed chickadee

chestnut bean

chestnut blight

Statistics for chestnut

Last Updated

20 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for chestnut

The first known use of chestnut was in 1519

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for chestnut

chestnut

noun

English Language Learners Definition of chestnut

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a type of tree that produces large, sweet nuts that can be eaten

: the nut of a chestnut tree

: the wood of a chestnut tree

chestnut

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of chestnut (Entry 2 of 2)

: of a reddish-brown color

See the full definition for chestnut in the English Language Learners Dictionary

chestnut

noun

chest·nut | \ ˈches-ˌnət

Kids Definition of chestnut

1 : a sweet edible nut that grows in burs on a tree related to the beech

2 : a reddish brown

chestnut

noun

chest·nut | \ ˈches-(ˌ)nət

Medical Definition of chestnut

1a : a tree or shrub of the genus Castanea (C. dentata) that is found in eastern North America and the leaf of which was formerly used to prepare an infusion for the treatment of whooping cough

b : the edible nut of a chestnut

2 : a callosity on the inner side of the leg of the horse