nest

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a bed or receptacle prepared by an animal and especially a bird for its eggs and young
b
: a place or specially modified structure serving as an abode of animals and especially of their immature stages
an ants' nest
c
: a receptacle resembling a bird's nest
2
a
: a place of rest, retreat, or lodging : home
grown children who have left the nest
b
3
: the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4
a
: a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountainsHelen MacInnes
b
: hotbed sense 2
a nest of rebellion
5
: a group of objects made to fit close together or one within another
6
: an emplaced group of weapons

nest

2 of 2

verb

nested; nesting; nests

intransitive verb

1
: to build or occupy a nest : settle in or as if in a nest
2
: to fit compactly together or within one another : embed

transitive verb

1
: to form a nest for
2
: to pack compactly together
3
: to form a hierarchy, series, or sequence of with each member, element, or set contained in or containing the next
nested subroutines

Examples of nest in a Sentence

Noun The bird built a nest out of small twigs. If you look closely, you can see a nest in that tree. They lived in a cozy little nest in the suburbs. Verb Robins nested in the tree. She studied the nesting habits of the turtle. The set of four chairs can nest into one stack. The smaller bowl is designed to nest inside the larger one.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The poem features a swan’s nest hidden among reeds that a young woman dreams of showing to an idealized lover. Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 Males will actively attack nest intruders, even its own reflection in windows. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 In reality, the effort has been about as effective as trying to get rid of ants by breaking up one nest: each drug leader’s death or capture leads to the rise of several small would-be lords. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The most important rules are that Jackie presides over the nest, Jackie always wins and Jackie is always on nest duty during inclement weather. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 The Japanese maple houses the little nest from the hummingbirds last year. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 Bald eagle parents Liberty and Guardian lost one egg in their Northern California nest, an eagle-watching group said. Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 According to federal law and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act: Anyone observing, photographing, or present near a bald eagle nest must remain 300 feet or more away from the nest to prevent disturbance and avoid causing the eagles to abandon their nest. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Last year, Acadia National Park said three breeding pairs of peregrine falcons set up their nests on the park’s cliffs near the Valley Cove Trail, the Jordan Cliffs Trail, and the Precipice Trail. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
The exterminator said that means they might be nested in the walls, in which case the only way to remove the nest was to rip open the wall. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Conservation efforts worldwide aim to protect sea turtle nesting sites, reduce bycatch, and mitigate other threats to help these ancient creatures survive. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 The last panel features a leopard shark found along our beaches like La Jolla, surrounded by kelp, and two California least terns flying above that—an endangered species that nests in our Mission Bay/Pacific Beach areas. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 From April to August, keep an eye out for nesting sea turtles. Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024 When the weather gets cold, some scorpions, such as the bark scorpion (also endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico), will nest and hibernate in large groups to conserve warmth. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 But my proudest achievement, finally finding someone to nest with. Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Another unique trait: While nesting the cranes will paint their feathers with the rusty, clay soil to better camouflage themselves and protect their young. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Share [Findings] Humboldt penguins who nest in the open have more pollutant metabolites in their blood than do penguins who nest in guano-rich burrows. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German nest nest, Latin nidus

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nest was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near nest

Cite this Entry

“Nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nest

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a place or structure where eggs are laid and hatched or young are raised
a turtle's nest
the nest of a bird
a mouse's nest
b
: the home or shelter of an animal (as a squirrel or chimpanzee)
2
a
: a place of rest, retreat, or lodging : home
grown children who have left the nest
b
: den sense 2, hangout
the robbers' nest
3
: the occupants of a nest
a nest of baby birds
4
: a group of objects made to fit one within another
a nest of measuring cups

nest

2 of 2 verb
1
: to build or live in a nest
robins nested in the tree
2
: to fit compactly together or within one another
a set of tables that nest for storage

Medical Definition

nest

noun
: an isolated collection or clump of cells in tissue of a different structure
a nest of sarcomatous cells

More from Merriam-Webster on nest

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