nestle

1 of 2

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

nestler

2 of 2

noun

nes·​tler -s(ə)lə(r) 

plural -s

: one that nestles : nestling

Synonyms of nestle

Verb

• snuggle
• cuddle
• nuzzle

Examples of nestle in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Here will be the makings of an 85-acre live-work-play sector of the city that theoretically will seamlessly nestle into a neighborhood and enhance everything from The Crossroads Arts District to Union Station and the National WWI Museum & Memorial. — Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026

On the first night of Southern California’s fires Thursday, the crescent moon was the only source of light across homes nestled beneath Boney Mountain in Ventura County and across much of the Santa Monica Mountains due to the ongoing outages. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Each building at the luxe 15-acre Russian River resort, which is nestled amongst the towering redwoods in the petite town of Guerneville, California, is linked to a different era of the property’s past. — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026

After Collins’ family reported her missing, police followed a tip to the Pham’s unit, nestled behind NoDa’s main strip, and found Collins wrapped in duct tape and stuffed into a mattress. — Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English nestlian, from nest

First Known Use

Verb

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