nesting doll

noun

plural nesting dolls

: russian doll

The most familiar nesting dolls … represent maidens and grandmothers. … While most have painted babushkas tied under their chins, the shapes vary, ranging from bullet-shaped to conical to roly-poly.

—Anita Gold

… there was a set of nesting dolls for every baseball team and football team in the United States.

—Minna J. Edelman

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above