nest egg

noun

1
: a natural or artificial egg left in a nest especially to induce a hen to continue to lay there
2
: a fund of money accumulated as a reserve

Examples of nest egg in a Sentence

They built up a nest egg for their son's college education. paid for the computer out of his nest egg
Recent Examples on the Web Using a dynamic approach to your nest egg is frequently the key. Wes Moss, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 When investing for retirement, the goal usually is to maximize your nest egg while avoiding too much volatility along the way. The Arizona Republic, 28 Jan. 2024 The Ducks built that nest egg even without a contribution from arguably their most talented scorer, Trevor Zegras. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 7 Jan. 2024 Similarly, work with a financial adviser to create a long-term investment strategy that will provide a nest egg for you in your later years. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Roberts ascended to chief justice in 2005 and stayed in the stock market, allowing his nest egg to swell as the economy boomed. Kyle Mullins, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 The goalposts seemingly keep moving forward, as the current prospect of retirement requires a larger nest egg than in the past. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 Many have no nest egg, and some are coping with social isolation. Jeffrey E. Singer, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024 Just a couple of years after leaving college and marrying Samuel Hochberg, Vernon invested $495 from her $2,000 wedding nest egg to place a single ad in Seventeen magazine’s September 1951 issue. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nest egg.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nest egg was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nest egg

Cite this Entry

“Nest egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest%20egg. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nest egg

noun
: a fund of money set aside as a reserve
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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