conker

conker

English

A selection of fresh conkers from a horse-chestnut tree.

Etymology 1

From 19th-century dialect conker (“snail-shell”); the game of conkers was originally played using snail-shells; from conch +‎ -er[1][2] or a variant of conquer.[3][4]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒŋkə/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒŋkə(ɹ)
• Homophone: conquer

Noun

conker (plural conkers)

1. (Britain) A horse chestnut, used in the game of conkers.

   Synonyms: (all dialectal) cheggie, cobbler, obblyonker

   • 2006, Peter Godwin, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa:

     His bald spot gleams like a burnished conker.

Derived terms

• conker tree

References

1. “conker”, in Collins English Dictionary; from Michael Agnes, editor, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, Cleveland, Oh.: Wiley, 2010, →ISBN.
2. “conker”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
3. “conker”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
4. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “conkers”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Noun

conker

1. Alternative form of kankar
   • 1833, Edward C. Archer, Tours in Upper India and in Parts of the Himalaya Mountains (page 89)

     The roads are not exceeded by any throughout India; hard conker pounded, makes them as level as a table.

Anagrams

• reckon, rocken