chestnut /ˈt͡ʃɛs(t)nʌt/noun 9adjective 1forms 1phrases 1 noun9 •An edible nut (technically a fruit) of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa); also (chiefly preceded by a descriptive word), a nut from a related shrub or tree; or a similar nut from an unrelated plant.Of trouth the chestain trees brynge forth the soft swete chestnutte out of the sharpe pricking ⁊ hard huske. — 1531 •In full chestnut tree: the shrub or tree that bears this nut, the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa); also (chiefly preceded by a descriptive word), a shrub or tree of the genus Castanea.The Chesnut delighteth in shadowie places and mountaynes whose situation is towardes the North. — 1578 •A dark, reddish-brown colour, like that of chestnut fruit.Ros[alind]. I'faith his haire is of a good colour. / Cel[ia]. An excellent colour: / Your Chessnut vvas euer the onely colour: […] — 1598 •(figurative) Chiefly in old chestnut: a joke, meme, phrase, ploy, etc. which has been repeated so often as to have grown ineffective or tiresome; a cliché.Take greed. He [Donald Trump]'s been cited many times for what now has become a chestnut: "The point is, you can't be too greedy." — 2015 •A horse with a reddish-brown coat, mane and tail.[T]he noble Vice-President of the Club, Lord Carington […] led the way with his chestnuts, having a distinguished brother whip, Lord Londesborough, by his side. — 1871 •Wood of a chestnut tree. •(UK) Short for horse chestnut (“any of several tree species of the genus Aesculus, especially Aesculus hippocastanum; the fruit of such a tree”).And those three chestnuts near, that hung / In masses thick with milky cones. — 1842 •Things resembling a chestnut fruit in appearance or colour. •An oval or round horny plate located on the inner side of the leg of a horse or other equines, which is thought by some people to correspond with the thumbnail of other animals. adjective1 •Of a deep reddish-brown colour, like that of a chestnut fruit.[…] Aill, from mountains freed, / Down from the lakes did raving come; / Each wave was crested with tawny foam, / Like the mane of a chesnut steed. — 1805 formschestnuts Phrases with chestnut old chestnutA well-worn story.