chest·nut
ˈches(t)-(ˌ)nət 
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
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
Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Some of the early shelters were built from the American chestnut before the species was devastated by blight.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2024
Fawn Stone, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
The classic chestnut design matches perfectly with all of your favorite looks that is perfect for a lazy day this season.
Find it on AmazonFind it on Walmart
Stay hydrated in style this summer season with this drinking tumbler that comes with a complimentary straw to sip on throughout the day.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for chestnut 
Noun
As part of the restoration, a front door was crafted from a piece of wormy 19th-century chestnut without the use of glue, relying, instead, on pegs to hold it together.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Some of the early shelters were built from the American chestnut before the species was devastated by blight.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2024
Adjective
After all, there was a dreamy guy at my old O.C. residence who had warm chestnut eyes and olive skin.
—Fawn Stone, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
The classic chestnut design matches perfectly with all of your favorite looks that is perfect for a lazy day this season.
Find it on AmazonFind it on Walmart
Stay hydrated in style this summer season with this drinking tumbler that comes with a complimentary straw to sip on throughout the day.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for chestnut
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.
Dictionary Entries Near chestnut
Cite this Entry
“Chestnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chestnut. Accessed 15 Jul. 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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