chestnut

chestnut [ches′nut΄, chest′nut΄]

n.

[< chesten-nut < ME chesteine < OFr chastaigne < L castanea < Gr kastaneia]

1. the smooth-shelled, sweet, edible nut of any of a genus (Castanea) of trees of the beech family

2. the tree that it grows on

3. the wood of this tree

4. HORSE CHESTNUT

5. reddish brown

6. a reddish-brown horse

7. the hard callus on the inner side of a horse's leg

☆ 8. Informal

a) an old, stale joke or phrase; cliché

b) a very familiar story, piece of music, etc. that is too often repeated

adj.

reddish-brown

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pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire

[cf. CAT'S-PAW] to do a dangerous, hard, or unpleasant thing for someone else