chestnut

What it means

1. countableAn 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.

   Cheſnuts are good in Female VVeakneſſes, and afford a very good Nouriſhment.

   1732, John Arbuthnot, “Practical Rules of Diet in the Various Constitutions and Diseases of Human Bodies. Chapter I. Of the Different Qualities and Effects of Alimentary Substances. 4. Anti-acid, or Contrary to Acidity or Sourness.”, in An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments, and the Choice of Them, According to the Different Constitutions of Human Bodies. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC, page 258

   5 more examples

   Of trouth the cheſtain trees brynge forth the ſoft ſwete cheſtnutte out of the ſharpe pricking ⁊ hard huſke.

   1531 March 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), [Antonio de Guevara], “Howe the Emperour Reasoned with the Maysters that shulde Lerne His Sonne”, in John Bourcher knyghte Lord Barners [i.e., John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners], transl., The Golden Boke of Marcus Aurelius Emperour and Eloquent Oratour, London: […] Thomæ Bertheleti […], published 1535, →OCLC, folio 16, recto

   The Cheſnut tree, is a very great, high & thicke tree, not much vnlike the Walnut tree. […] amongſt the leaues at the top of yͤ branches grow the Cheſnuttes whiche are browne without, ſomewhat flat almoſt after the faſhion of a hart, and playne and ſmooth polliſhed: they be alſo incloſed in ſhelles and very rough and prickley huſkes lyke to a Hedgehogge or Urchin, the which huſkes do open of their owne accorde when the Cheſnuttes be ripe ſo that they fall out of theie ſayde huſkes of their owne kinde.

   1578, Rembert Dodoens, “Of the Chesnut Tree”, in Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes: […], London: […] [Henry [i.e., Hendrik van der] Loë for] Gerard Dewes, […], →OCLC, 6th part (Trees, Shrubbes, Bushes, and Other Plantes of Wooddy Substance), page 729

   I am not he Camilla that will leaue the Roſe, bicauſe I pricked my finger, or forſake the golde that lyeth in the hot fire, for that I burne my hande, or refuſe the ſweet Cheſnut, for that it is couered with ſharpe huſkes.

   1580, Iohn Lyly [i.e., John Lyly], “Philautus to the Faire, Camilla”, in Euphues and His England. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 73, verso

   So vvhen tvvo Boards, in vvild Ytene bred, / Or on VVeſtphalia’s fatt’ning Cheſt-nuts fed, / Gnaſh their ſharp Tusks, and rous’d vvith equal Fire, / Diſpute the Reign of ſome luxurious Mire; / In the black Flood they vvallovv o’er and o’er, / ’Till their arm’d Javvs diſtill vvith Foam and Gore.

   [1716], [John] Gay, “Book III. Of Walking the Streets by Night.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 56

   This I knovv by my ovvn Experience, having compared the Produce of tvvo Pieces of Land of equal Area and Quality, one ſovved vvith VVheat, and the other planted vvith Cheſnut Trees.

   1761, John James Rousseau [i.e., Jean-Jacques Rousseau], “Notes. [Discourse.] Pag[e] 17..”, in [anonymous], transl., A Discourse upon the Origin and Foundation of the Inequality among Mankind. […], London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 195

   Synonyms: Spanish chestnut, sweet chestnut

2. countableIn 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, Rembert Dodoens, “Of the Chesnut Tree”, in Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes: […], London: […] [Henry [i.e., Hendrik van der] Loë for] Gerard Dewes, […], →OCLC, 6th part (Trees, Shrubbes, Bushes, and Other Plantes of Wooddy Substance), page 729

   5 more examples

   The next is the Cheſs-nut [Caſtanea] of vvhich Pliny [the Elder] reckons many kinds, eſpecially that about Tarentum and Naples, but vve commend thoſe of Portugal. […] [M]ay Copſes of Cheſs-nuts be vvonderfully increaſed and thickn'd by laying the tender and young branches; but ſuch as ſpring from the Nuts and Marrons are beſt of all, […]

   1664, J[ohn] E[velyn], “Of the Cheſs-nut”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, page 24

   Theſe cheſnuts ranged in correſponding lines, / And though himſelf ſo poliſh'd, ſtill reprieves / The obſolete prolixity of ſhade.

   1785, William Cowper, “Book I. The Sofa.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 15

   The midnight Moon ascends! Her placid beams, / […] / Here, o’er the chesnut’s fretted foliage grey / And massy, motionless they spread; […]

   1814, Robert Southey, “Canto XV”, in Roderick the Last of the Goths, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], →OCLC, page 175

   Zav[ior]. […] At the dawn of the fourth day's journey, I entered the wood of Collares, when ſuddenly from the thick boughs of a cork tree— / Pab[lo]. (jumping up.) A cheſnut, Captain, a cheſnut. / Zav. Bah! you booby, I ſay, a cork. / Pab. And I ſwear, a cheſnut—Captain! this is the twenty-ſeventh time I have heard you relate this ſtory, and you invariably ſaid, a cheſnut, till now.

   1816, William Dimond, The Broken Sword, a Grand Melo-drama, […], London: […] J. Barker, Dramatic Repository, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 13

   [T]here is no seeming, no halfness in nature, until the appearance of man. Unconscious creatures do the whole will of wisdom. An oak or a chestnut undertakes no function it cannot execute; […]

   1876, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Comic”, in Letters and Social Aims, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co., →OCLC, page 140

   Synonyms: Spanish chestnut, sweet chestnut

   1. uncountableWood of a chestnut tree.

      Synonyms: Spanish chestnut, sweet chestnut

In a sentence

Of trouth the cheſtain trees brynge forth the ſoft ſwete cheſtnutte out of the ſharpe pricking ⁊ hard huſke.

1531 March 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), [Antonio de Guevara], “Howe the Emperour Reasoned with the Maysters that shulde Lerne His Sonne”, in John Bourcher knyghte Lord Barners [i.e., John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners], transl., The Golden Boke of Marcus Aurelius Emperour and Eloquent Oratour, London: […] Thomæ Bertheleti […], published 1535, →OCLC, folio 16, recto

Where it comes from

1. Ancient Greekκᾰστᾰ́νειᾰ
2. Latincastanea“chestnut tree; fruit of this tree”
3. Old Frenchchastaigne, chastaine
4. Middle Englishchesten
5. Englishchestnut

The noun is a contraction of chest(en) (“(obsolete) chestnut tree; fruit of this tree, chestnut”) + nut. Chesten is a late variant of chesteine (obsolete), from Middle English chesten, chesteine, chasteine, chesteyne (“chestnut tree (Castanea sativa); fruit of this tree; wood of this tree”), from Old French chastaigne, chastaine (French châtaigne), from Latin castanea (“chestnut tree; fruit of this tree”) (whence Old English ċisten), from Ancient Greek κᾰστᾰ́νειᾰ (kăstắneiă), a variant of κᾰ́στᾰνᾰ (kắstănă, “sweet chestnut”); for further etymology, see that entry. Doublet of castanet. Noun sense 4 (“joke, phrase, etc., which has been repeated so often as to have grown ineffective or tiresome”) may refer to an 1816 play, The Broken Sword, by William Dimond (1781 – c. 1837), in which one character begins to relate a story in which a boy slips down from a cork tree, and another interrupts him to say that he had previously repeated the story many times, and always mentioned a chestnut tree. The adjective is probably from an attributive use of the noun; compare French (of hair) châtain (“chestnut”) (from châtaigne (“a chestnut”)) and marron (“brown”) (from marron (“a horse chestnut or chestnut”)).