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
Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024
Many doubted from the start that an artist known primarily for strict rehearsal discipline in chestnuts would have the sweeping vision to guide a major orchestra into the future.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 June 2024
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2024
Often, my father would go on about the wildlife in the park: the chestnut and elm trees around the perimeter, hyacinths, daffodils, rhododendrons.
—Nicolaia Rips, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for chestnut 
Noun
In Pennsylvania, that comes in the form of taxing work: At key times of the year, state employees and volunteers haul 25-pound bags of chestnuts up into the mountains to drop them in crevices only hungry woodrats could reach, Otterbein said.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024
Many doubted from the start that an artist known primarily for strict rehearsal discipline in chestnuts would have the sweeping vision to guide a major orchestra into the future.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Adjective
Remember that chestnut about a retro ’50s diner being a wax museum with a pulse?
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2024
Often, my father would go on about the wildlife in the park: the chestnut and elm trees around the perimeter, hyacinths, daffodils, rhododendrons.
—Nicolaia Rips, The New Yorker, 21 June 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 7 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share