n.

1. Any of various North American trees or shrubs of the genus Aesculus, having palmately compound, opposite leaves, erect panicles of white to red or yellow flowers, and large shiny seeds with a large attachment scar. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

2. The spiny or smooth fruit of any of these plants.

3. The large shiny brown seed of such a fruit.

Noun 1. buckeye – the inedible nutlike seed of the horse chestnut

conker, horse chestnut

seed – a small hard fruit

2. buckeye – tree having palmate leaves and large clusters of white to red flowers followed by brown shiny inedible seeds

Aesculus hippocastanum, horse chestnut

Aesculus, genus Aesculus – deciduous trees or some shrubs of North America; southeastern Europe; eastern Asia

sweet buckeye – a tall and often cultivated buckeye of the central United States

Ohio buckeye – a buckeye with scaly grey bark that is found in the central United States

bottlebrush buckeye, dwarf buckeye – a spreading shrub with pink flowers; found in southeastern United States

red buckeye – a shrub buckeye of southern United States

particolored buckeye – a buckeye marked by different colors or tints

angiospermous tree, flowering tree – any tree having seeds and ovules contained in the ovary

3. Buckeye – a native or resident of Ohio

Ohioan

American – a native or inhabitant of the United States

Folk lore teaches that carrying one or more buckeyes in a pocket brings good luck to the bearer and can ward off rheumatism and other human physical ailments. Buckeyes are poisonous if eaten by humans, horses, or cattle. However, squirrels consume them eagerly.