nest

American  

[nest] / nɛst /

noun

1. 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.

2. a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young.

3. a number of birds, insects, animals, etc., inhabiting one such place.

4. a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.

5. 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.

6. a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a robber's nest.

   a nest of vice;

   a robber's nest.

7. the occupants or frequenters of such a place.

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verb (used with object)

1. to settle or place (something) in or as if in a nest.

   to nest dishes in straw.

2. to fit or place one within another.

   to nest boxes for more compact storage.

verb (used without object)

1. to build or have a nest.

   The swallows nested under the eaves.

2. to settle in or as if in a nest.

3. to fit together or within another or one another.

   bowls that nest easily for storage.

4. to search for or collect nests.

   to go nesting.

5. Computers. to place a routine inside another routine that is at a higher hierarchical level.

nest British  

/ nɛst /

noun

1. a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc, lay eggs or give birth to young

2. a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitat

   an ants' nest

3. a place fostering something undesirable

   a nest of thievery

4. the people in such a place

   a nest of thieves

5. a cosy or secluded place

6. a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit together

   a nest of tables

7. military a weapon emplacement

   a machine-gun nest

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verb

1. (intr) to make or inhabit a nest

2. (intr) to hunt for birds' nests

3. (tr) to place in a nest

nest Idioms  

1. see empty nest; feather one's nest; foul one's nest; stir up a hornet's nest.

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Other Word Forms

• nestable
  adjective
• nester
  noun
• nestlike
  adjective
• nesty
  adjective

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

“Overestimate what healthcare costs and long-term care facilities will cost in the future. The biggest drag on retirement nest eggs in your 80s and 90s is care,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

In “Stranger Things,” where spider-like beings attack from their nest in the Upside Down, nature is striking back at human beings, the monsters of ecological collapse.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Without at least four birds working together to raise young, their slow-developing chicks won’t survive long enough to leave the nest.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Shadow gingerly places one taloned foot, then the other, on Jackie as she hunkers down on the nest.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

I stomped my foot on a pixie nest, and a hiss like a boiling kettle filled the air.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• burrow
• den
• refuge