Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

nestling

American  
[nest-ling, nes-ling] / ˈnɛst lɪŋ, ˈnɛs lɪŋ /

noun

  1. a young bird not yet old enough to leave the nest.

  2. a young child or infant.

nestling British  
/ ˈnɛslɪŋ, ˈnɛstlɪŋ /

noun

    1. a young bird not yet fledged

    2. ( as modifier )

      a nestling thrush

  2. any young person or animal

"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

Etymology

Origin of nestling

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English; nest, -ling 1

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 2010, Kings of Leon were forced to cut short a performance in St Louis, Missouri, after a flock of pigeons nestling above the stage took a dislike to their act.

From BBC

One unexpected finding was that warmer extremes were linked to heavier fledging weights during the nestling stage.

From Science Daily

During the summer of 2018, when Stormy was still a nestling, “an adult male intruder showed up to the nest and with great tenacity, refused to leave,” wrote Friends of Big Bear Valley.

From Los Angeles Times

Churro couldn’t have heard her above the wind, but for once he didn’t bark at her or growl, nestling into the shelter of her arm instead.

From Literature

At 72, Uncle Thing wakes up at dawn every day and weaves around his hilly farm to collect ripened durians, either dangling from trees or nestling on nets close to the ground.

From BBC

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.