conker

[ kong-ker, kawng- ]

noun

, British Informal.

1. a horse chestnut.
2. the hollowed-out shell of a horse chestnut.
3. conkers, a game in which a child swings a horse chestnut on a string in an attempt to break that of another player.

conker

/ ˈkɒŋkə /

noun

1. an informal name for horse chestnut

Word History and Origins

Origin of conker¹

1840–50; probably originally conquer; compare conquering a game played with snail shells (the name of the game presumably later transferred to the playing pieces)

Example Sentences

His victory was plunged into controversy and he was surprised to find himself at the centre of national headlines when the Telegraph reported claims he cheated by swapping his real conker for a metal one.

From BBC

A Telegraph story included claims that the 82-year-old had cheated by swapping his real conker for a metal one and was also a head judge for the tournament.

From BBC

The event saw participants go head-to-head using conkers threaded on to string to try and smash their opponent's nut.

From BBC

Recent storms had blown hundreds of conkers out of the trees, raising concerns that they might rot before the big day.

From BBC

A mature horse chestnut, it is festooned with glorious blooms every spring, and after a few weeks sheds hundreds of partially grown, supernumerary conkers, encased in spiky green coverings.

From Seattle Times