horse-chestnut

horse-chestnut
horse-chestnut 1590s, from HORSE (Cf. horse) + CHESTNUT (Cf. chestnut). A tree probably native to Asia, introduced in England c.1550; the name also was extended to similar N.Amer. species such as the buckeye. Said to have been so called because it was food for horses. The nut resembles that of the edible chestnut but is bitter to the taste.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Horse-chestnut — may refer to:* Horse chestnut (tree), the genus Aesculus of 20–25 species of deciduous trees and shrubs * Horse chestnut leaf miner, moth of the lepidopteran family Gracillariidae * Horse Chestnut (horse), a South African Thoroughbred racehorse …   Wikipedia

  • horse chestnut — horse chestnuts also horse chestnut 1) N COUNT A horse chestnut is a large tree which has leaves with several pointed parts and shiny reddish brown nuts called conkers that grow in cases with points on them. 2) N COUNT Horse chestnuts are the… …   English dictionary

  • horse chestnut — noun count 1. ) a large tree that has white or pink flowers, and produces shiny hard brown seeds 2. ) a seed from the horse chestnut tree …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • horse chestnut — n. 1. any of a genus (Aesculus) of shrubs and trees of the horse chestnut family, including buckeyes; esp., a tree ( A. hippocastanum) with large, palmately compound leaves, clusters of white flowers, and glossy, brown seeds 2. a seed of this… …   English World dictionary

  • Horse-chestnut — Horse chest nut, Horsechestnut Horse chest nut, n. 1. (Bot.) The large nutlike seed of a species of {[AE]sculus} ({[AE]sculus Hippocastanum}), formerly ground, and fed to horses, whence the name. The seed is not considered edible by humans.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • horse-chestnut — [hôrs′ches΄nut] adj. 〚transl. of obs. botanical L Castanea equina: reason for name uncert.〛 designating a family (Hippocastanaceae, order Sapindales) of dicotyledonous trees, including the horse chestnuts * * * …   Universalium

  • horse chestnut — ► NOUN 1) a large deciduous tree producing nuts (conkers) enclosed in a spiny case. 2) a conker. ORIGIN horse chestnuts are said to have been an Eastern remedy for chest diseases in horses …   English terms dictionary

  • horse-chestnut — [hôrs′ches΄nut] adj. [transl. of obs. botanical L Castanea equina: reason for name uncert.] designating a family (Hippocastanaceae, order Sapindales) of dicotyledonous trees, including the horse chestnuts …   English World dictionary

  • horse chestnut — [ US ˈ. ˌ..] n 1.) a large tree which produces shiny brown nuts and has white or pink flowers 2.) a nut from this tree = ↑conker …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • horse chestnut — 1. a tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, native to the Old World, having digitate leaves and upright clusters of white flowers. 2. the shiny, brown, nutlike seed of this tree or of other trees of the genus Aesculus. [1590 1600; trans. of NL castanea… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”