nestle
Americanverb (used without object)
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nestles,
present (3rd person singular)
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nestled,
past participle, past
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nestling
present participle
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to lie close and snug, like a bird in a nest; snuggle or cuddle.
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to lie or be located in a sheltered spot; be naturally or pleasantly situated.
a cottage nestling in a pine grove.
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Archaic.
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to make or have a nest.
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to make one's home; settle in a home.
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verb (used with object)
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nestles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nestled,
past participle, past
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nestling
present participle
-
to settle or ensconce snugly.
He nestled himself into the hay for a short nap.
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to put or press confidingly or affectionately.
She nestled her head on his shoulder.
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to provide with or settle in a nest, as a bird.
verb
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(intr; often foll by up or down) to snuggle, settle, or cuddle closely
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(intr) to be in a sheltered or protected position; lie snugly
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(tr) to shelter or place snugly or partly concealed, as in a nest
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nestlesimple
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nestlessimple
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have nestledperfect
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has nestledperfect
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am nestlingprogressive
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are nestlingprogressive
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is nestlingprogressive
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have been nestlingperfect progressive
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has been nestlingperfect progressive
Past
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nestledsimple
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had nestledperfect
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was nestlingprogressive
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were nestlingprogressive
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had been nestlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nestle
before 1000; Middle English nestlen, Old English nestlian, cognate with Dutch nestelen. See nest, -le
Explanation
To nestle into something is to get snug, comfy, and warm in it. You might nestle into your mother’s shoulder, or into a pile of blankets on the couch. People must think that birds live comfortable lives, because they describe really cozy, safe, and comfortable places as nests: places to nestle into. And it’s not just people and birds that nestle. A cottage might be nestled into the crook of a hill, or a mouse nestled into a pile of wood shavings.
Vocabulary lists containing nestle
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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The Circuit
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"Digging" by Seamus Heaney
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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:
Roll it out cinnamon-roll style, spread with cream cheese, Parmesan, herbs and hot giardiniera, then coil, slice and nestle the spirals together in a buttered skillet.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
“You can nestle under a blanket and watch the storms on the mountains,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
When he reached 84, he went past Hobbs' Ashes tally of 3,636 to nestle behind Bradman, then went to three figures with a paddle off Bethell for three.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026
“People who live in the Palisades don’t want to leave. It’s a magical place — they nestle into the mountains right by the ocean,” Walker said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2025
Her father lifts her into its bed, where a dozen people nestle beneath a waxed canvas tarp.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
It nestles and entangles itself in for the long haul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Sometimes that summary nestles within internal stirrings, like the goosebumps produced by the opening chords of Jane’s Addiction’s “Ocean Size” when Sydney Chandler’s Wendy realizes she can speak to the xemomorphs.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
The first comes, not surprisingly, from San Marino – the independent microstate that nestles inside north-central Italy.
From BBC ● May 9, 2025
A floating, translucent marble cube, it nestles at the foot of One World Trade Center, just eight stories high, a runt in a herd of mega-tall commercial skyscrapers but impossible to miss.
From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
They hover by his shoulder as he leans over a plate of rice at dinnertime or nestles against Ashima’s limbs at night.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Important discoveries in recent years include the remains of columns and bases from a Roman temple in Maasser al-Shouf in the mountains southeast of Beirut, nestled next to a millennia-old cedar forest.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Anyone who listens to this single on Cyrus’ 2017 album, “Younger Now,” can hear Parton’s bubbly voice behind that of her goddaughter, nestled between samples of phone messages the legend left for the pop songstress.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Residents of the city, which is nestled in the Appalachian foothills with the Tennessee River running through the heart of a lively downtown, enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, biking and boating.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The site is nestled between the White House and the Treasury Building, an area that normally can be publicly viewed by visitors to Lafayette Park, just to the north.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
“I’m sorry that happened to you yesterday,” she said, her face nestled against his.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
The study shows wildebeest frequently crisscross the Sand River and the areas surrounding the Ritz-Carlton, even though they avoid forested areas nestling the camp due to the risk of predators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
But for a hummingbird with a broken wing or a nestling with a missing mom, the situation is life-threatening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
Many years ago, her cat had escaped and came back with a hummingbird nestling.
From Salon ● Jan. 9, 2025
Wigan’s eight-point deduction at the start of the season has left them nestling in mid-table, but they have failed to win any of their last three home games, including Friday’s 1-1 draw against Cheltenham.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2024
The village of Bree had some hundred stone houses of the Big Folk, mostly above the Road, nestling on the hillside with windows looking west.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
