nest
Americannoun
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nests
plural
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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.
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a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young.
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a number of birds, insects, animals, etc., inhabiting one such place.
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a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.
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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.
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a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a robber's nest.
a nest of vice;
a robber's nest.
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the occupants or frequenters of such a place.
verb (used with object)
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nests,
present (3rd person singular)
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nested,
past participle, past
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nesting
present participle
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to settle or place (something) in or as if in a nest.
to nest dishes in straw.
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to fit or place one within another.
to nest boxes for more compact storage.
verb (used without object)
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nests,
present (3rd person singular)
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nested,
past participle, past
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nesting
present participle
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to build or have a nest.
The swallows nested under the eaves.
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to settle in or as if in a nest.
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to fit together or within another or one another.
bowls that nest easily for storage.
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to search for or collect nests.
to go nesting.
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Computers. to place a routine inside another routine that is at a higher hierarchical level.
noun
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a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc, lay eggs or give birth to young
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a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitat
an ants' nest
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a place fostering something undesirable
a nest of thievery
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the people in such a place
a nest of thieves
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a cosy or secluded place
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a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit together
a nest of tables
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military a weapon emplacement
a machine-gun nest
verb
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(intr) to make or inhabit a nest
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(intr) to hunt for birds' nests
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(tr) to place in a nest
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nestsimple
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nestssimple
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have nestedperfect
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has nestedperfect
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am nestingprogressive
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are nestingprogressive
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is nestingprogressive
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have been nestingperfect progressive
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has been nestingperfect progressive
Past
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nestedsimple
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had nestedperfect
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was nestingprogressive
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were nestingprogressive
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had been nestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nest
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” ( see nether) + unattested zd-, variant of unattested sd-, ablaut variant of unattested sed-, verb base meaning “sit” ( see sit 1) + unattested -o- thematic vowel
Explanation
A nest is a shelter or other structure that an animal uses for laying eggs or giving birth. If a bird is collecting string and straw and twigs in your yard, she's probably building a nest in a nearby tree. Large birds of prey build nests that can be six feet high, in trees or on buildings, and up to three feet wide. Owls often make nests in tree hollows, while orioles build elaborate hammock-like nests that hang from branches. Foxes, mice, and raccoons also build nests, and people can make nests too, cozy spots to settle for a nap. As a verb, nest means "to build a nest or fit inside something larger."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For a variety of reasons, Americans who spend decades building nest eggs are reluctant to spend them down in retirement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
Many license holders regard the right to sell them as a kind of nest egg.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
They are normally found throughout tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, and usually nest along the coasts of Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Loggerhead turtles, external are the most common turtle in the Mediterranean and typically nest on beaches from Greece and Turkey to Israel and Libya.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Hey, Baby Mouse. What’s that rat’s nest you got there?”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Another species of penguin, the macaroni, also nests on the island and is thriving, which scientists believe is linked to their more varied diet.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
In a typical day’s work, El Charro will cover half of the building’s exterior, methodically searching for hot spots and pointing Ford staff to nests that are later removed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Bird's nest fungi resemble miniature nests complete with tiny eggs, while the rare red cage fungus forms a vivid crimson lattice structure.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The nests, which appeared Sept. 16 in Seal Beach and Sept. 19 in Huntington Beach, are the first known naturally-occurring sea turtle nests on the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
They would have gold nests all over the castle now.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Below, on a plain white plate, sat the actual dish: shrimp nested in crisp cups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Having nested together for eight years, Jackie and Shadow raised numerous chicks and bonded by restoring their nest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Now, a group of the birds have nested at an industrial estate near Guildford, with the hope they will rear chicks in the coming years.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The small seabirds have nested on the beach at Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, every year since 2019.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
The problem with this view was that it meant abandoning the idea that the universe was created out of nested spheres—a high price to pay, and one that few were prepared to contemplate.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
The turtles are normally found throughout tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, with large nesting populations in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
They also tend to return to the same nesting sites year after year.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Prisoners in HMP La Moye, in St Brelade, have given Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group 20 feeding and nesting boxes which they have made out of reclaimed pallet timber.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
"It will be terrible for some of the birds, seabirds that are nesting here that are quite endangered."
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Within the loop five wide rings were suspended, each one larger than the last, nesting snugly inside each other, like the rings of Saturn.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
