mare's-nest

[ mairz-nest ]

/ ˈmɛərzˌnɛst /

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See synonyms for: mare's-nest / mare's-nests on Thesaurus.com

noun

something imagined to be an extraordinary discovery but proving to be a delusion or a hoax: The announced cure for the disease was merely another mare's-nest.

an extremely confused, entangled, or disordered place, situation, etc.: We just moved in, and the place is a mare's-nest.

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Origin of mare's-nest

First recorded in 1610–20

Words nearby mare's-nest

Marenzio, mareograph, marero, Mare Serenitatis, Mare Sirenum, mare's-nest, mares of Diomedes, mare's-tail, Mare Tranquillitatis, Mare Tyrrhenum, Mare Undarum

How to use mare's-nest in a sentence

“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s,” Sesar said.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The thing [North Korean government] want[s] the most is the non-release of this film,” Schiff said.
Obama Could Hit China to Punish North Korea|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A third cabinet member used public funds to pay in an S & M bar.
Japan’s Nasty Nazi-ish Elections|Jake Adelstein|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Almost as soon as she had finished building her nest she had discovered a strange-looking egg there.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
The grass had a delightful fragrance, like new-mown hay, and was neatly wound around the tunnel, like the inside of a bird's-nest.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Ajoutez cecy, s'il vous plaist, la grande difficult qu'il y a de tirer d'eux les mots mesmes qu'ils ont.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Neantmoins le vieil Membertou, pere du malade, conceut asss l'affaire, et me promit qu'on s'arresteroit tout ce que j'en dirois.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mare's-nest

mare's-nest

noun

a discovery imagined to be important but proving worthless

a disordered situation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mare's-nest

Origin of mare's-nest

Words nearby mare's-nest

Words related to mare's-nest

How to use mare's-nest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mare's-nest