horse-chestnut

(hérs’ches’nut), n. [So called, it is said, because formerly ground as food for horses; but this is appar. a mere gue . Horse oceurs in many other plant-names, in some without obvious reason; in this case it may be meant to convey the notion of ‘large.’] 1. A dicotyledonous-leafed tree of the genus dsculus. 4. Hippocastanum, a large and highly ornamental tree, a native originally of Asia, was introduced into Europe about the middle of the sixteenth century. The native American species of the same genus are commonly called buckeye. The fruit of the horse-chestnut resembles the chestnut, but is coarse and bitter. See scul us and buckeye. 2. The nut or fruit of the horse-chestnut.—3. In entom., a geometrid moth, Pachycnemia hippo cast an aria: an English collectors’ name. horse-clipper (hérs’klip”ér), ». A form of shears for clipping the coats of horses, in which a pair of sérrated knives move over each other. See cut under clipping-shears. horse-cloth (hérs’kléth), ». A cloth used to cover a horse, or as a part of its trappings. The furniture and the horse-cloaths will be all your own device for the wedding, and the horses, when and where you please. Steele, Lying Lover, ii. 1.