Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

nested

American  
[nes-tid] / ˈnɛs tɪd /

adjective

Mathematics.

  1. (of an ordered collection of sets or intervals) having the property that each set is contained in the preceding set and the length or diameter of the sets approaches zero as the number of sets tends to infinity.

Etymology

Origin of nested

First recorded in 1720–30; nest + -ed 3

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.

In 2025, a second pair of ospreys nested in the south of England, and 2026 could bring a third pair, the charity Birds of Poole Harbour said.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Shortly after, a pair of eagles nested on the north side, bolstering Big Bear Valley’s role as vital habitat for the birds of prey.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

The Palisades is nested against a mountain range filled with dried-out flora, making it an “extreme” fire risk, according to an official state threat assessment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

The bright structures around the planet were not solid extensions of the world itself, but separate rings formed from many thin, nested arcs.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2025

And in the center was a new set of nested boxes, inscribed with a splendid floral design.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

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.