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nestling

[ nest-ling, nes-ling ]
/ ˈnɛst lɪŋ, ˈnɛs lɪŋ /
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See synonyms for: nestling / nestlings on Thesaurus.com

noun
a young bird not yet old enough to leave the nest.
a young child or infant.
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Origin of nestling

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English; see origin at nest, -ling1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nestling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nestling

nestling
/ (ˈnɛstlɪŋ, ˈnɛslɪŋ) /

noun
  1. a young bird not yet fledged
  2. (as modifier)a nestling thrush
any young person or animal

Word Origin for nestling

C14: from nest + -ling 1
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
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