chestnut

1 of 2

noun

chest·​nut ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət How to pronounce chestnut (audio)
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
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

chestnut

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of the color chestnut
2
: of, relating to, or resembling a chestnut

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
In the mouth voluptuous waves of black fruits, red cherries, black licorice and even roast chestnuts. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 But while chestnuts may be roasting on an open fire somewhere, the only thing burning here at EW are our questions for the Netflix drama's showrunner Patrick Sean Smith. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2023 Become a Subscriber There’s a chance that this year’s Oscar host, Jimmy Kimmel, will bring out that old chestnut with regard to Barbie, which netted eight nods, including Best Picture, but saw its director, Greta Gerwig, ignored in her category. David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2024 The scenery perfectly complemented the elevated meal of slow-roasted free-range turkey, heirloom apple and sage stuffing, sweet potato puree, garlic lemon green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pomegranate, and a spiced cranberry orange compote served with turkey and giblet gravy. Brande Victorian, Essence, 27 Nov. 2023 Roam four acres filled with Victorian theaters, pubs and dance halls while enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air and dozens of lamplit shops overflow with handmade gifts. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2024 There are four different pastries, all visually stunning, which feature the ingredients from the Vallée de Joux including hazelnuts, honey, pine, chestnuts and blackcurrants. Rana Good, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Those chestnuts from Broadway and Hollywood are sure to figure prominently in this Amaturo Theater performance, backed by a new trio featuring bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Beyond the classic foliage sprinkled with snow and chestnuts, this beauty boasts twinkling lights that shine when the sun dips. Matthew Parker, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Perhaps the warmest shade of ash brown in the bunch, this ashen chestnut looks insanely flattering on warm-toned skin types. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2024 The menu might include squid ink tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring eggs, and an apricot dessert with a chestnut honey mousse. Caitie Kelly Gisela Williams Camille Sojit Pejcha Lindsay Talbot Roxanne Fequiere Alexander Lobrano, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Carla Bruni, meanwhile, showed off sweeping side bangs in her mid-length chestnut hair, which fell over her movie star shades. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 The chestnut mare named Pretty Runaway, 7, is a quarter horse living on a mostly woman-run farm in Cameron, Ontario, her groom Autumn Purdy, known as @Emilyautumnmoto on TikTok, told McClatchy News in a phone interview. Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024 Compare, for example, the depth and nuttiness of darker buckwheat and chestnut honeys, which are particularly well paired with aged spirits. M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Kelly Rowland reminisced about her night, showing off her soft beat: complete with glowing bronzer, chestnut lips, and peach-maroon shadows. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 Feb. 2024 But as patient, saintly Beth would tell you, those sisters are as disparate as a daisy and a chestnut burr. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2024 Santa Claus Christmas Celebration takes place the first three weekends in December, adding merriment with drive-thru light displays, shopping experiences, chestnut roasting, meet and greets with Santa, and the Santa Claus Christmas Parade. Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chestnut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chestnut was in 1519

Dictionary Entries Near chestnut

Cite this Entry

“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chestnut. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chestnut

1 of 2 noun
chest·​nut ˈches-(ˌ)nət How to pronounce chestnut (audio)
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 How to pronounce chestnut (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on chestnut

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