nestling

noun

nest·​ling ˈnest-liŋ How to pronounce nestling (audio)
: a young bird that has not left the nest

Examples of nestling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Scrub-jays are resident birds here, but, like many species, seem more abundant after nesting season since they are not constrained to taking care of nestlings and can expand their range in search of food. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023 For birds nesting in agricultural spaces with little tree cover or shade, the probability of successfully raising at least one nestling dropped by 46% when temperatures were abnormally high. Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 19 Oct. 2023 The heron was one of several brought to Phoenix as nestlings from the rookery at Thames Street Park in Fells Point. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023 Biologists used rock climbing gear to ascend the cliffs and reach the two nestlings. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023 Through the fog of its delirium, the crowd needed a second to process the sight of Mackenzie Arnold’s outstretched arm, the ball nestling in the net, Hemp wheeling away in celebration. Rory Smith, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023 Fortunately, the parents of both nestlings allowed the staffers to handle the babies without issue. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023 In the past, a few eagle nests have been raided by black bears with predictably bad results for the nesting eagles (i.e., loss of that year’s nestlings). Helena Wegner, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2023 Sharon sought to entrench Israeli control over the area by inserting outposts that would disconnect Palestinian communities, which can be seen nestling in the hillsides surrounding Givat Hirel. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 2 May 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nestling was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nestling

Cite this Entry

“Nestling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nestling. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

nestling

noun
nest·​ling ˈnest-liŋ How to pronounce nestling (audio)
: a young bird not yet able to leave the nest

More from Merriam-Webster on nestling

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