nest egg

American  

noun

1. money saved and held in reserve for emergencies, retirement, etc.

2. a natural or artificial egg placed in a nest to induce a hen to continue laying eggs there.

---

nest egg British  

noun

1. a fund of money kept in reserve; savings

2. a natural or artificial egg left in a nest to induce hens to lay their eggs in it

---

Etymology

Origin of nest egg

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nest egg

Then the power of compound returns will grow it into a huge after-tax retirement nest egg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

By the Labor Department’s own math, 1% in additional fees can shrink someone’s nest egg at retirement by 28%.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Kessler, 24, agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract, not a bad nest egg for newlyweds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

If so, you’ll want to draw from your liquid accounts, not your retirement nest egg.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

He said he was building a nest egg for us, but I know at least part of him wanted to see where things went with Steph.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

• cache
• reserve fund
• savings
• savings account
• stash
• stockpile