A tree of the horse chestnut family with distinctive nuts, or a person from Ohio (the Buckeye State). The nuts have a glossy brown appearance with a lighter patch resembling a deer's eye.
American English compound of 'buck' (male deer) and 'eye', describing the appearance of the nut which resembles a deer's eye. The name was applied to Ohio residents in the early 19th century, eventually becoming the state's nickname.
Ohio became known as the Buckeye State partly because these trees were abundant there, but also because early settlers were called 'buckeyes' as a somewhat derogatory term, which Ohioans embraced with pride. The Ohio State University's mascot Brutus Buckeye celebrates this connection.
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