chaonian food
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Acorns. So called from the oak trees of Chaonia or Dodona. Some think beech-mast is meant, and tell us that the bells of the oracle were hung on beech-trees, not on oaks.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “chaonian food” mean?
Acorns. So called from the oak trees of Chaonia or Dodona. Some think beech-mast is meant, and tell us that the bells of the oracle were hung on beech-trees, not on oaks.
Is “chaonian food” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.