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:
It hibernates from around October to May, spending the winter in a nest on the ground.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
California’s first sea turtle nest appeared Sept. 16, when an olive ridley laid a clutch of eggs near the Surfside community in Seal Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Under the Secure 2.0 legislation passed by Congress in 2022, people aged 60 to 63 who participate in workplace retirement plans can now contribute extra funds to their nest egg, up to $11,250.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
The Russian matryoshka doll, a painted wooden vessel in which five to seven generations nest one inside the other, impersonates eternity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Another nest was made of leaves and twigs that hung like a basket from a tree.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
They also recognize the many economic contributions of the lower-earning spouse and are designed to treat a marriage not as two separate entities building two independent nests, but as a lifelong partnership.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Previous research found that increasing the temperature by 12°C caused a tenfold increase in the number of honey bees leaving their nests.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
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
Teran, a 25-year Ford veteran, said staff at Hermosillo had been researching other tactics for scaring off pigeons, especially a cohort of birds that had built nests in the plant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
No one has ever found their nests, he claims, so it is evident that they visit us from another planet.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
It was walking distance from the subway and had a lovely if nonfunctional fireplace, and when the baby bunnies nested in our herb garden, I thought, Yes.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
In 1871, one massive flock in Wisconsin nested more than 850 square miles — almost twice the size of the city of L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 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
The small seabirds have nested on the beach at Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, every year since 2019.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Crows nested in the tim-bers of its lofty ceiling.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
The small, heart-shaped 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 ● Nov. 3, 2026
Olive ridleys 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 ● Oct. 30, 2026
But the black-tailed godwit has now been spotted in her wetlands --the only recorded Italian nesting site.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
"It's sort of like Russian nesting dolls because you have grog within grog within grog. You can trace this back several generations of pots," Wallis said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, the nesting colonies of the grebes dwindled — from more than 1000 pairs before the first insecticide treatment to about 30 pairs in i960.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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