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 man found his way to the roof, nestled down into the prone position and peered through a scope at Kirk less than 150 yards away. —Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025

His newest project, Hwaro, is a 22-seat circular chef’s counter nestled in the Theater District’s Gui Steakhouse. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025

Each of these commitments comes nestled in a bramble of thorny questions that societies have been debating for the last, let’s round it off at, 250 years. —Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025

The Spa at Hof van Saksen is a quiet sanctuary nestled beneath the resort’s iconic dome. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 11 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