nest

[ nest ]

/ nɛst /

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See synonyms for: nest / nested / nesting on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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

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

a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.

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.

a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a nest of vice; a robber's nest.

the occupants or frequenters of such a place.

verb (used with object)

to settle or place (something) in or as if in a nest: to nest dishes in straw.

to fit or place one within another: to nest boxes for more compact storage.

verb (used without object)

to build or have a nest: The swallows nested under the eaves.

to settle in or as if in a nest.

to fit together or within another or one another: bowls that nest easily for storage.

to search for or collect nests: to go nesting.

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

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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 sit¹) + unattested -o- thematic vowel

OTHER WORDS FROM nest

nest·a·ble, adjectivenester, nounnestlike, adjectivenesty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nest in a sentence

They followed them back to the nest, which Spichiger said was located less than 30 feet from a children’s play set.
A nest filled with hundreds of ‘murder hornets’ was destroyed ‘just in the nick of time,’ officials say|Teo Armus|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
One or two additional years gives your existing nest egg time to grow, more time for additional retirement contributions with higher catch-up limits for those age 50 and up, and less time that nest egg needs to support you in retirement.
Your 401(k) is still likely to have a bumpy ride after the election|Michelle Singletary|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
Once I had an empty nest, I took on more hours so that parents of young children could focus on their family.
The pandemic is amplifying tensions between working moms and child-free colleagues|Karla Miller|November 5, 2020|Washington Post
The idea is that folks with checking accounts at BofA’s 4,300 branches will stick with the bank for credit cards, car loans, and mortgages, and managing their nest eggs via a private banker or Merrill Lynch financial adviser.
Bank of America just ended a weak quarter—but there were 3 little-noticed bright spots|Shawn Tully|October 18, 2020|Fortune

Even with Google’s efforts to make the nest sound good anywhere, placement does matter.
Google’s Nest Audio sounds remarkably good for a $99 smart speaker|Stan Horaczek|October 6, 2020|Popular-Science
How to Be Inappropriateby Daniel Nester A TMI compendia of inappropriate and humorous nonfiction.
This Week's Hot Reads|The Daily Beast|November 2, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Daniel Nester— the man who tanned his way to happiness—inches his way to the answer.
The Case for Upsizing|Daniel Nester|March 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Daniel Nester—the man who tanned his way to happiness—inches his way to the answer.
The Case for Upsizing|Daniel Nester|March 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Daniel Nester is the author of How to Be Inappropriate, a book of humorous nonfiction.
The Case for Upsizing|Daniel Nester|March 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST
"Are you sure there isn't a woman at this nester's shack," said he appealingly to the bearers of the blanket stretcher.
Wells Brothers|Andy Adams
The nester was uncoiling a rope from his saddle horn, and at this sight Masten shrieked and went to his knees.
The Range Boss|Charles Alden Seltzer
If we was all of us like you, there'd be nothing to it for the nester-bunch.
The Flying U's Last Stand|B. M. Bower
What had the boys been thinking of, to let that nester stock get past them in the night?
The Flying U's Last Stand|B. M. Bower
Till we do we've got to hang and rattle, and keep that nester stock from getting past us.
The Flying U's Last Stand|B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for nest

nest

/ (nɛst) /

noun

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

a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitatan ants' nest

a place fostering something undesirablea nest of thievery

the people in such a placea nest of thieves

a cosy or secluded place

a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit togethera nest of tables

military a weapon emplacementa machine-gun nest

verb

(intr) to make or inhabit a nest

(intr) to hunt for birds' nests

(tr) to place in a nest

Derived forms of nest

nester, nounnestlike, adjective

Word Origin for nest

Old English; related to Latin nīdus (nest) and to beneath, sit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with nest

nest

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

nest

Origin of nest

OTHER WORDS FROM nest

Words related to nest

How to use nest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nest

Derived forms of nest

Word Origin for nest

Other Idioms and Phrases with nest