n. 1. (Bot.) The large nutlike seed of a species of Aesculus (Aesculus Hippocastanum), formerly ground, and fed to horses, whence the name. The seed is not considered edible by humans. [ wns=2 ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ] 2. (Bot.) The tree itself (Aesculus hippocastanum), which was brought from Constantinople in the beginning of the sixteenth century, and is now common in the temperate zones of both hemispheres; it has palmate leaves and large clusters of white to red flowers followed by brown shiny inedible seeds. The native American species is also called buckeye and conker. [ wns=1 ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ] Variants: Horse-chestnut |