nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈne-səl 

nestled; nestling ˈne-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

archaic : nest sense 1

2

: to settle snugly or comfortably

3

: to lie in an inconspicuous or sheltered manner

transitive verb

1

: to settle, shelter, or house in or as if in a nest

the children were nestled all snug in their beds

—Clement Moore

2

: to press closely and affectionately

nestles a kitten in her arms

nestler

ˈne-s(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms

• snuggle
• cuddle
• nuzzle

Examples of nestle in a Sentence

He nestled his head against his mother's shoulder.

She carefully nestled the hamster into its cage.

The fly ball nestled into the outfielder's glove.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Quintosapore innovative farming project may be nestled in the verdant and peaceful Umbrian hills, but echoes of Hollywood and Cinecittà are not too distant. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025

The hotel is nestled in the Cultural District at 3700 Camp Bowie Blvd. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025

Filled with tender onion and soft goat cheese and nestled in a pool of Gruyère sauce, his elegant riff seemed true to classic French technique yet unconstrained by it. —Megan Zhang, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025

Goat Springs is nestled in a clump of piñons between the rolling mass of Goat Mountain and the seemingly vertical face of Bennett Mountain. —Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nestlian, from nest

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for nestle

• cresol
• decile
• pestle
• sessile
• trestle
• vessel
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈnes-əl 

nestled; nestling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to lie close and snug : cuddle

2

: to settle as if in a nest

nestler

-(ə-)lər 

noun