\ ˈnest 
\
\Definition of nest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : a bed or receptacle prepared by an animal and especially a bird for its eggs and young
b : a place or specially modified structure serving as an abode of animals and especially of their immature stages
an ants' nest
c : a receptacle resembling a bird's nest
2a : a place of rest, retreat, or lodging : home grown children who have left the nest
3 : the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4a : a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountains— Helen MacInnes
b : hotbed sense 2 a nest of rebellion
5 : a group of objects made to fit close together or one within another
6 : an emplaced group of weapons
nest
verbnested; nesting; nests
Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to build or occupy a nest : settle in or as if in a nest
2 : to fit compactly together or within one another : embed
1 : to form a nest for
2 : to pack compactly together
3 : to form a hierarchy, series, or sequence of with each member, element, or set contained in or containing the next
nested subroutines
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Examples of nest in a Sentence
Noun
The bird built a nest out of small twigs.
If you look closely, you can see a nest in that tree.
They lived in a cozy little nest in the suburbs. Verb
Robins nested in the tree.
She studied the nesting habits of the turtle.
The set of four chairs can nest into one stack.
The smaller bowl is designed to nest inside the larger one.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Squirrels and other mammals are known to make their homes in mistletoe, as are birds of all sizes, from hummingbirds to waterfowl: A survey in Australia found that 245 bird species nest in mistletoes.
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Rachel Ehrenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, "The Biology of Mistletoe," 23 Dec. 2020 There have been several sightings of the Asian giant hornet in the state and Canada, according to WSDA, with the first ever eradication of a nest in the US occurring in October.
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Amanda Watts, CNN, "Washington state will be taking down its 'murder hornet' traps for the winter," 4 Dec. 2020 As some entomologists hit the tree to stir up the hornets, others sucked up the insects through a vacuum hose stuck in the remaining opening to the nest.
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Washington Post, "A nest filled with hundreds of ‘murder hornets’ was destroyed ‘just in the nick of time,’ officials say," 12 Nov. 2020 Wood ducks are aptly named, evolved to nest in tree cavities.
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Jim Williams Contributing Writer, Star Tribune, "Who's the fairest duck of them all? Author says it's the wood duck," 10 Nov. 2020 Several of the sea turtles hauled themselves onto the beach to nest in April, the first time the behavior was documented there.
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From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, "Lumber cost jacked, turtle benefit, eviction relief: News from around our 50 states," 2 Sep. 2020 Today, bog turtles scuttle and geese nest in thick native vegetation that has put down roots that hold sediment in place.
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Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "A secret hidden in centuries-old mud revealed a new way to save polluted rivers," 18 Aug. 2020 While the mother was able to protect herself, the chick was prematurely forced out of the nest and left on the ground with a limp.
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Jesse Klein, Wired, "Severe Wildfires Are Devastating the California Condor," 11 Dec. 2020 Through her binoculars, Merrick scanned every treetop for a sign of a nest.
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Anton L. Delgado, The Arizona Republic, "How a rare squirrel could reveal changes in a forest ecosystem damaged by wildfire," 4 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb When you’re done mixing, throw them in the dishwasher and then nest them for easy storage.
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Lesley Kennedy, CNN Underscored, "Sick of cooking? These meal delivery services will keep you eating well," 1 Jan. 2021 Glacial retreat has exposed new land for these seabirds, which do not nest on ice and prefer to moult their feathers in freshwater streams.
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Thomas Page, CNN, "Is an iceberg weighing hundreds of billions of tons on a penguin collision course?," 11 Dec. 2020 Hornbills must nest in cavities, and for five of the past seven years, the same pair of helmeted hornbills has nested in the hole in the meranti tree, producing a chick each year.
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Yao-hua Law, The Atlantic, "Helmeted Hornbills Are Very Picky About Their Nests," 16 Dec. 2020 The birds readily nest in boxes in the wild and have striking plumage that seems ideal for testing ideas about the evolutionary point of the ornamentation.
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Cathleen O’grady, Science | AAAS, "Psychology’s replication crisis inspires ecologists to push for more reliable research," 9 Dec. 2020 The birds generally nest in colonies along beaches, with the largest colony in Florida residing on Marco Island.
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Karl Schneider, USA TODAY, "Over 100 young seabirds got sick or died in Florida this summer from a mystery illness. Officials now know what it was.," 5 Dec. 2020 Something old and deeply rooted, here before Him, and providing a canopy under which newer faiths might nest.
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Matthew Sweet, The Economist, "The secret economics of Christmas adverts, unwrapped," 4 Dec. 2020 Asian giant hornets typically nest in the ground but can occasionally be found nesting in dead trees.
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Allen Kim, CNN, "That 'murder hornet' nest scientists found and destroyed had nearly 200 queens. They say they got there 'just in the nick of time'," 11 Nov. 2020 Asian giant hornets typically nest in the ground but can occasionally be found nesting in dead trees.
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Allen Kim, CNN, "That 'murder hornet' nest scientists found and destroyed had nearly 200 queens. They say they got there 'just in the nick of time'," 11 Nov. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nest
nest
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of nest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the place where a bird lays its eggs and takes care of its young
: a place where an animal or insect lives and usually lays eggs or takes care of its young
: a home where people live
nest
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)
: to build or live in a nest
: to fit inside each other
See the full definition for nest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nest
noun\ ˈnest \
\Kids Definition of nest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a shelter made by an animal and especially a bird for its eggs and young
2 : a place where some animals live and usually lay eggs
a termite's nest
3 : a cozy place : home
4 : those living in a nest
a nest of robins
nest
verbnested; nesting
Kids Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)
: to build or live in a nest
nesting birds
nest
noun\ ˈnest \
\Medical Definition of nest
: an isolated collection or clump of cells in tissue of a different structure
a nest of sarcomatous cells
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Comments on nest
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Time Traveler for nest
The first known use of nest was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century