chest·nut
ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət 
plural chestnuts
1
a
: any of a small genus (Castanea) of deciduous trees or shrubs of the beech family that are found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and produce a small round fruit having a prickly outer husk and containing one to seven edible nuts
especially
: a North American tree (C. dentata) that was formerly a dominant or codominant member of many deciduous forests of the eastern U.S. but was largely eliminated by chestnut blight in the 20th century and seldom grows beyond the shrub or sapling stage : american chestnut
b
: the nut of a chestnut
c
: the wood of a chestnut
2
: a grayish to reddish brown
3
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
6
a
: an old joke or story
b
: something (such as a musical piece or a saying) repeated to the point of staleness
1
: of the color chestnut
2
: of, relating to, or resembling a chestnut
Synonyms
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
Tom Mullen, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Shapes like chestnuts, turnips, corn and pea pods, all meant to appeal to America’s agricultural roots.
—Aaron Mahnke, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The horse chestnut leaf blotch pathogen overwinters as fruiting bodies in leaves infected during the previous season.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chestnut 
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Noun
Cyclists picked up paper cones holding hot roasted chestnuts, and perhaps cups of Chianti.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Shapes like chestnuts, turnips, corn and pea pods, all meant to appeal to America’s agricultural roots.
—Aaron Mahnke, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
But why sit indoors when there were hawks, and bears, and stars, and even an extremely rare American chestnut sapling to observe outside?
—Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The horse chestnut leaf blotch pathogen overwinters as fruiting bodies in leaves infected during the previous season.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chestnut
Dictionary Entries Near chestnut
Cite this Entry
“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chestnut. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chestnut
1 of 2 noun
chest·nut
ˈches-(ˌ)nət
1
a
: a sweet edible nut from any of several trees or shrubs related to the beeches
b
: a tree or shrub bearing chestnuts
especially
: an American tree that was formerly common and grew to large size in eastern forests but has been largely wiped out by the chestnut blight and now grows only to the size of a shrub or sapling
c
: the wood of a chestnut tree
2
3
: a brown or reddish brown horse
chestnut
2 of 2 adjective
: of a reddish brown color
Medical Definition
chestnut
noun
chest·nut
ˈches-(ˌ)nət
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
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