chestnut

noun chest·nut \ ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of chestnut

1 a : 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 ²bay 1, ¹sorrel 1

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

6 a : an old joke or story

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

See chestnut defined for English-language learners

See chestnut defined for kids

Examples of chestnut in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of chestnut from the Web

Good Magic’s victory Saturday was worth 100 points in the Road to the Derby qualifying system, and moved the chestnut colt into first place in the standings with 134 points.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Curb your Good Magic enthusiasm. Lately, Blue Grass entrants don't fare well at Kentucky Derby," 7 Apr. 2018
This morning for her surprise visit to Belfast in Northern Ireland, Markle carried the Bloomsbury bag in chestnut from British Brand Charlotte Elizabeth.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle's Chic Top-Handled Bag in Belfast Is Surprisingly Affordable," 23 Mar. 2018
Blueberry lavender jam and goat cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves More than 100 cheeses in stock include Capriole O'Banon goat cheese.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "The 15 things you have to do, see and eat at Whole Foods in Downtown Indianapolis," 21 Mar. 2018
Blackbird’s Chef de Cuisine Ryan Pfeiffer prepares dishes like strip loin with chestnut mole, cabbage, and truffle oil, also crispy Brussels sprouts accented with apple cider, Fresno chile, orange, and Parmesan.

— choose chicago, Bon Appetit, "Chicago Restaurant Week 2018," 19 Mar. 2018
Assertive but earthy colors such as moss, ochre and chestnut highlight soothing upholstery in plush, touchable velvet, suede and chenille.

— valli herman, latimes.com, "The subtle ways the Hotel Figueroa's redesign is a tribute to women," 10 Mar. 2018
The three shades of the interior—black dashboard, chestnut dashboard accent and seats, and beige headlining—make for a bit of a visual mishmash.

— eric bangeman, Ars Technica, "Review: Buick aims high, falls short with $60,000 Enclave Avenir," 2 Mar. 2018
Elon Musk is getting into the roasted chestnut business with a flamethrower that looks like a futuristic weapon.

— tim stelloh, NBC News, "ATF doesn’t know why Elon Musk said agency is ‘A-ok’ with flamethrowers," 29 Jan. 2018
Photo: Jasmine Van Hevel for The Wall Street Journal Karin de Ceuninck, 57, an Ixelles native, has long had her eye on Brugmann’s bucolic boulevard lined with chestnut trees and imposing townhouses.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "Brussels’ Hip Ixelles District Lures Affluent New Admirers," 28 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of chestnut

Middle English chasteine, chesten chestnut tree, from Anglo-French chastein, chestain, from Latin castanea, from Greek kastanea

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1519

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

chestnut Synonyms

Synonyms

banality, bromide, cliché (also cliche), commonplace, groaner, homily, platitude, shibboleth, truism;

Near Antonyms

profundity;

inanity;

generality, generalization, simplification;

adage, proverb, saw, saying;

old wives' tale, stereotype;

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

chestnut

adjective

Definition of chestnut

1 : of the color chestnut

2 : of, relating to, or resembling a chestnut

See chestnut defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of chestnut

1555

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

CHESTNUT Defined for English Language Learners

chestnut

noun

Definition of chestnut for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of chestnut for English Language Learners

: of a reddish-brown color

CHESTNUT Defined for Kids

chestnut

noun chest·nut \ ˈches-ˌnət \

Definition of chestnut for Students

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

2 : a reddish brown

Medical Dictionary

chestnut

noun chest·nut \ ˈches-(ˌ)nət \

medical Definition of chestnut

1 a : 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