nest egg
Americannoun
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money saved and held in reserve for emergencies, retirement, etc.
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a natural or artificial egg placed in a nest to induce a hen to continue laying eggs there.
noun
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a fund of money kept in reserve; savings
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If your entire nest egg is in 30-year bonds and you need cash during those 30 years, you may need to sell some.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Many license holders regard the right to sell them as a kind of nest egg.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The intense focus on building a nest egg is nothing new for many retirees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Can my $2 million nest egg sustain two homes?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
This clan, having put their own small farm to bed for the winter in the Province of Quebec, came over the line to make a small nest egg.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
