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.
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
Parents who own businesses can hire their children as employees, maximizing the years the IRA funds can compound, which gives them a powerful head start on building a retirement nest egg.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
It was supposed to be 83-year-old Ed Mansell's nest egg.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Joan had been collecting Regina’s checks and then banking them for her so that she’d have a small nest egg when she returned to the United States.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
