chestnut sore n NEng
A rash or swelling on the skin; see quots.
1835 Parley’s Mag. 3.366 NEng, There is hardly any thing worse for children than green chestnuts. . . We sometimes hear of chestnut sores as they are called;—that is, sores about the mouth. But it is believed that when we see these sores on the outside, we might see, if we could go there, sores quite as troublesome, in the inside. 1853 Alcott Lectures Life Health 104 NEng, How often have I heard mothers speak of certain sores about the angles of children’s mouths, and call them chestnut sores! And how often have boils been traced . . to substances equally crude and unwholesome! 1969 DARE (Qu. BB25, . . Common skin diseases) Inf MA58, Chestnut sores—ringworm.