nest

[ nest ]

noun

1. 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.
2. a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young.
3. a number of birds, insects, animals, etc., inhabiting one such place.
4. a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.
5. 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.

6. a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a robber's nest.

   a nest of vice;

   a robber's nest.

7. the occupants or frequenters of such a place.

verb (used with object)

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

   to nest dishes in straw.

2. to fit or place one within another:

   to nest boxes for more compact storage.

verb (used without object)

1. to build or have a nest:

   The swallows nested under the eaves.

2. to settle in or as if in a nest.
3. to fit together or within another or one another:

   bowls that nest easily for storage.

4. to search for or collect nests:

   to go nesting.

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

nest

/ nɛst /

noun

1. a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc, lay eggs or give birth to young
2. a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitat

   an ants' nest

3. a place fostering something undesirable

   a nest of thievery

4. the people in such a place

   a nest of thieves

5. a cosy or secluded place
6. a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit together

   a nest of tables

7. military a weapon emplacement

   a machine-gun nest

verb

1. intr to make or inhabit a nest
2. intr to hunt for birds' nests
3. tr to place in a nest

Derived Forms

• ˈnestˌlike, adjective
• ˈnester, noun

Other Words From

• nesta·ble adjective
• nester noun
• nestlike adjective
• nesty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nest¹

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” ( nether ) + unattested zd-, variant of unattested sd-, ablaut variant of unattested sed-, verb base meaning “sit” ( sit ¹ ) + unattested -o- thematic vowel

Word History and Origins

Origin of nest¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

Example Sentences

It also lays its eggs on the ground, without a nest or any other form of protection except for the watchful eye of the mother and this might have caused it to develop good side vision, he adds.

From BBC

In this sense, “Great Gold Bird” will recall another long-running immersive Los Angeles show, the Scout Expedition-created “The Nest,” which is currently staged out of Hatch Escapes.

From Los Angeles Times

But they are not exactly a nest of birds singing in perfect harmony.

From BBC

During the visit, the migrants walked the court through military tents they have been living in, pointing out damp, tears in the canvas, droppings, and a rats’ nest above one of the beds.

From BBC

He was angry that I even considered uprooting our empty nest for such a pursuit.

From Salon

Related Words

• burrow
• den
• refuge