1. plural of chincapin; small edible nuts from trees of the beech family, native to North America
Usage: Also spelled chinkapin or chinquapin; Refers to both the nuts and the trees that produce them
2. the dwarf chestnut trees or shrubs that bear these nuts, found in eastern and southern North America
Usage: Botanical term; genus Castanea

Examples

• The children gathered chincapins from the forest floor in autumn.
• Chincapins are smaller than regular chestnuts but equally nutritious.
• Native Americans traditionally harvested chincapins as a food source.
• The chincapin trees grow abundantly in the Appalachian region.
• Roasted chincapins were a delicacy in colonial America.