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 of nestle

• 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

And all the while, a key part of the Chamberlain mythos was hiding in plain sight on the island nestled under the North Fork of Long Island. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026

To fix these issues scientists aim to go one layer deeper into the atom, from the electrons on the outside to the nucleus nestled within, and track how energy flips a single neutron between quantum states. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Crews have been working near Santa Elena Canyon, an iconic spot nestled among towering cliffs along the Rio Grande, as well as near Mariscal Mountain to the east. — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

The final stop is at Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in America, nestled among the High Cascades. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026

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