nest

[nest]

noun

1. a pocketlike, usually more or less circular structure of twigs, grass, mud, etc., formed by a bird, often high in a tree, as a place in which to lay and incubate its eggs and rear its young; any protected place used by a bird for these purposes.

2. a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young.

3. a number of birds, insects, animals, etc., inhabiting one such place.

4. a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.

5. an assemblage of things lying or set close together, as a series of boxes or trays, that fit within each other.

   a nest of tables.

6. a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a robber's nest.

   a nest of vice;

   a robber's nest.

7. the occupants or frequenters of such a place.

verb (used with object)

1. to settle or place (something) in or as if in a nest.

   to nest dishes in straw.

2. to fit or place one within another.

   to nest boxes for more compact storage.

verb (used without object)

1. to build or have a nest.

   The swallows nested under the eaves.

2. to settle in or as if in a nest.

3. to fit together or within another or one another.

   bowls that nest easily for storage.

4. to search for or collect nests.

   to go nesting.

5. Computers.,  to place a routine inside another routine that is at a higher hierarchical level.

nest

/ nɛst /

noun

1. a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc, lay eggs or give birth to young

2. a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitat

   an ants' nest

3. a place fostering something undesirable

   a nest of thievery

4. the people in such a place

   a nest of thieves

5. a cosy or secluded place

6. a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit together

   a nest of tables

7. military a weapon emplacement

   a machine-gun nest

verb

1. (intr) to make or inhabit a nest

2. (intr) to hunt for birds' nests

3. (tr) to place in a nest

Other Word Forms

• nestlike adjective
• nester noun
• nestable adjective
• nesty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nest¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English (cognate with Dutch, German nest; akin to Latin nīdus “nest,” Old Irish net, Welsh nyth, Sanskrit nīḍa “lair”), ultimately from unattested Indo-European nizdo- “bird's nest,” equivalent to unattested ni “down” ( nether ) + unattested zd-, variant of unattested sd-, ablaut variant of unattested sed-, verb base meaning “sit” ( sit ¹ ) + unattested -o- thematic vowel

Word History and Origins

Origin of nest¹

Old English; related to Latin nīdus (nest) and to _beneath , _sit

Idioms and Phrases

see empty nest; feather one's nest; foul one's nest; stir up a hornet's nest.

Example Sentences

It’s a rite of passage leaving the nest for the son to explore the world.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After years of work with landowners by the charity Butterfly Conservation, the latest survey of silken caterpillar nests has seen huge increases.

Read more on BBC

“We had our blueprint. We had our nest egg. We had our health. All that was left was to toast our good fortune and enjoy the ride,” Glenn says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

See: Can my wife and I retire early with a $2 million nest egg?

Read more on MarketWatch

You might also decide against Roth catch-up contributions if there’s another pressing need for those funds, like paying down high-interest debt, or if you plan to donate your nest egg to charity.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• burrow 
• den 
• refuge