nest

noun

\ 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

b : den, hangout

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

verb

nested; nesting; nests

Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About nest

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The turtle originally came from a nest in West Barnstable that researchers determined was in a hazardous location and needed to be moved. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2021 The hatchling — a diamondback terrapin born from a nest in West Barnstable — has two heads and six legs, making the reptile, whose species is already threatened, that much rarer. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 12 Oct. 2021 Currently, American robins are involved in nest building. — Jim Gilbert, Star Tribune, 29 Apr. 2021 On a recent Monday morning, Lipman set up his camera to film the owlets sitting on a eucalyptus tree away from the nest. — Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Apr. 2021 In reality, the narrative was more ordinary and the jackdaw was pinching hair from the deer’s back to use in nest building. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 4 Apr. 2021 Harvester ant colonies can live for 30 or 40 years and, when possible, Tschinkel waits for a colony to move to a new nest before making a cast, to avoid killing the inhabitants. — Greg Miller, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2021 Long before the pandemic, young adults were already returning to the nest at increasing rates. — Ginny Hogan, The Atlantic, 15 Nov. 2021 The town of Kiawah Island said its last nest was counted Oct. 10. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb When not in use, the containers conveniently nest (or stack, with lids on). — Malia Griggs, SELF, 11 Jan. 2022 Burrowing owls are the only North American owl species to nest underground and make their homes in tunnels dug by ground squirrels. — Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2021 Breeding occurs throughout the year, and the grasshopper sparrow might nest upward of three times during a season. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2021 Some birds stick it out, but many move on and do not nest at all. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Sep. 2021 Now the windmill is gone, the building is fenced off and the only families around are the broods of gulls, who nest on the roof and streak neighbors with guano. — BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021 Volunteers spend the fall preparing two manmade islands — North Tern Island and South Tern Island — taking on vegetation management projects so the birds can nest, Loebl said. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 Bring hands together and nest one corner inside the other, flipping the outer one so the right side now faces out. — Marni Jameson, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Aug. 2021 Experts believe the birds were able to nest on the beach because human access to the sand was restricted by COVID-19 lockdowns. — Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, 5 July 2021

These 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.