nestle

[nes-uhl]

verb (used without object)

nestled, nestling 

1. to lie close and snug, like a bird in a nest; snuggle or cuddle.

2. to lie or be located in a sheltered spot; be naturally or pleasantly situated.

   a cottage nestling in a pine grove.

3. Archaic.

   1. to make or have a nest.

   2. to make one's home; settle in a home.

verb (used with object)

nestled, nestling 

1. to settle or ensconce snugly.

   He nestled himself into the hay for a short nap.

2. to put or press confidingly or affectionately.

   She nestled her head on his shoulder.

3. to provide with or settle in a nest, as a bird.

nestle

/ ˈnɛsəl /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by up or down) to snuggle, settle, or cuddle closely

2. (intr) to be in a sheltered or protected position; lie snugly

3. (tr) to shelter or place snugly or partly concealed, as in a nest

Other Word Forms

• nestler noun
• unnestled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nestle¹

before 1000; Middle English nestlen, Old English nestlian, cognate with Dutch nestelen. See nest, -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of nestle¹

Old English nestlian. See _nest

Example Sentences

Ms Li lived in a rented apartment nestled in a quiet residential area in a suburb of Austin.

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However, the beloved pergola was left behind, nestled in the yard of his former home.

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The small farming village of Nagrig in the Egyptian Nile Delta is nestled in swathes of green fields, growing jasmine and watermelons.

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In July, as the Dalai Lama turned 90, thousands of Tibetan Buddhists gathered in Dharamshala - a quiet town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

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Sierra Madre spans just three square miles nestled into the wrinkled hills, with some homes perched right in the mountains.

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