Obs. Forms: α. 4–5 chastein(e, 5 chasteyn(e, 5–7 chasten, 6 chastayne. β. 4 chesteine, -ene, kesteyn, 4–7 chesten, 5 chestan, 5–6 chesteyn(e, chestayn(e, 5–7 cheston, 6 chestin. See also CASTANE. [ME. chasteine (commonly chesteine, etc.), a. OF. chastaigne, -aine (= ONF. castaigne, Pr. castanha, Cat. castanya, Sp. castaña, Pg. castanha, It. castagna):—L. castanea chestnut, a. Gr. καστανέα, synonym of κάστανον, καστάνιον, καστάνειον (in full καστάνειον or κασταναῖον κάρυον, lit. ‘Castanian nut,’ referred by some to Κασταναία a city of Pontus, by others to Castana in Magnesia (Thessaly). The word was already in OE. in the form cisten-, cyst-béam, corresp. to OHG. che·stinna (MHG. ke·stene, kesten, mod. Upper Ger. keste), pointing to a WGer. *kastinna, *kastinja for *kastanja (prob. by assoc. with Germanic suffix -injô-). It is doubtful whether this OE. form had anything to do with the change of ME. chasteine to chesteine, or whether this was merely due to the obscurity of the first syllable while the stress was still upon -teine. In its latest stage chesten, nut was added: see CHESTNUT.]
1. A chestnut-tree.
a. 700. Erfurt Gloss., 249 (Sweet O. E. T.). Cistim beam.
a. 800. Corpus Gloss., 374. Castanea, cistenbeam.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 138. Castanea, cystel, uel cystbeam.
c. 1050. Cotton Cl. Gloss., ibid. 368. Castaneus, cistenbeam.
c. 1320. Sir Beues, 1699. He reinede his hors to a chesteine.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 2064. Wylugh, Elm, plane, Assh, box, chasteyn [v.r. chestayn, chesteyn, chasteine].
c. 1400. Maundev., xxxi. 307. Grete Forestes of Chesteynes.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 253. Chasten wol … of his seedes multiplie.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Mann. (1570), F iij a. For Chastaynes colde places commonly choseth he.
1570. Levins, Manip., 60. A chesten, castanea.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 472. The Cheston, and the Walnut-trees, or Mast-trees.
2. The fruit of this tree; a chestnut.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., VII. 281 (MS. H). Chibolles, chesteyns and ripe chiries monye.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XV. xx. (1495), 496. Plente of myle and chestens.
a. 1400. Pystel Susane, 93.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 1375. Medlers, plowmes, perys, chesteyns, Cherys, of which many oon fayne is.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 283. Chasteynes … under sande asonder leyde.
c. 1450. Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, 715. Hec castania, a cheston, or the tre.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary, xxi. (1870), 285. Chesteynes doth nowrysshe the body strongly.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr. (1568), 53 b. Rough without like a Chestin.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 1395. Browne as a chesten, phoenicens.
1674. Cunningham (of Craigends), Diary (1887), 43. Ther was no chastens gotten.
3. Comb.: chesten-nut (CHESTNUT), chesteine-tree.
c. 1330. Syr Degarre, 3. Hii leien hem doun … Under a chastein tre.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xliv. 14. He … toc the kesteyn tre, and the oek.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 646. Hec castania, chestantre.
c. 1535. Dewes (in Palsgr. 1852, 914), Chestayne tree, chataignier.
1580. Conveyance, in Phil. Trans., LXI. 141. Quandam silvam … voc. Chesten woode.
