1
a
: 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
2
3
: the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4
a
: a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountains—
Helen MacInnes
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
nested; nesting; nests
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
Synonyms
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 WebKristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Nov. 2023
Disturbance by humans and domestic animals like cats and dogs can also force migrating and wintering birds to expend unnecessary energy, which can lead breeding plovers to abandon their nests and young.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Nov. 2023
The set’s stainless steel design prevents rust for long-term use, and each of the five bowls nest inside one another for easy storage.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Store with the lids on if there are space or nest containers and stand lids on their sides.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023
As the sound of gunfire drew closer, everybody crowded into the shelter littered with trash, wasps’ nests and excrement.
—Isabel Kershner Amit Elkayam, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Darkness is essential for sea turtle hatchlings, as they are instinctively drawn from their nests toward the ocean by moonlight.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2023
To solve the mystery, Hopkins's team placed hundreds of concrete nest boxes in streams in southwestern Virginia.
—Carolyn Wilke, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Mammalian nest predators and large fish, meanwhile, kill far more waterfowl.
—Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023
Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023
Needless to say, such measures won't safeguard the giant leatherback turtles that nest on Great Nicobar Island, nor preserve the heritage and livelihoods of the Indigenous tribal communities who have called it home for millennia.
—Chirag Dhara, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2023
That the high-rise is also a corporate office building nested within Midtown in Manhattan should be considered no coincidence either.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023
Green turtles have seen the largest increases out of the species that nest in Florida, Henning said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 27 Oct. 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
In 2018, a pair of Great Lakes Piping Plovers, named Monty and Rose, attempted nesting at Waukegan Beach.
—Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023
Arctic geese largely nest in the high Arctic, but as the snowpack has melted, the geese have more space to nest and breed.
—Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
January is an ideal time to see land birds nesting and sea turtles laying their eggs on the beaches.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023
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Noun
This kid-friendly recipe comes together in a muffin tin, where little spaghetti nests create the base for precooked Italian-style meatballs and tomato basil pasta sauce.
—Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Nov. 2023
Disturbance by humans and domestic animals like cats and dogs can also force migrating and wintering birds to expend unnecessary energy, which can lead breeding plovers to abandon their nests and young.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Nov. 2023
The set’s stainless steel design prevents rust for long-term use, and each of the five bowls nest inside one another for easy storage.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Store with the lids on if there are space or nest containers and stand lids on their sides.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023
As the sound of gunfire drew closer, everybody crowded into the shelter littered with trash, wasps’ nests and excrement.
—Isabel Kershner Amit Elkayam, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Darkness is essential for sea turtle hatchlings, as they are instinctively drawn from their nests toward the ocean by moonlight.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2023
To solve the mystery, Hopkins's team placed hundreds of concrete nest boxes in streams in southwestern Virginia.
—Carolyn Wilke, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Mammalian nest predators and large fish, meanwhile, kill far more waterfowl.
—Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023
Verb
Living Room Furniture Is Up to 30% Off at Target
Give your living room a refresh before the crush of holiday entertaining (and winter nesting) sets in with this limited-time deal from Target.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023
Needless to say, such measures won't safeguard the giant leatherback turtles that nest on Great Nicobar Island, nor preserve the heritage and livelihoods of the Indigenous tribal communities who have called it home for millennia.
—Chirag Dhara, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2023
That the high-rise is also a corporate office building nested within Midtown in Manhattan should be considered no coincidence either.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023
Green turtles have seen the largest increases out of the species that nest in Florida, Henning said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 27 Oct. 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
In 2018, a pair of Great Lakes Piping Plovers, named Monty and Rose, attempted nesting at Waukegan Beach.
—Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023
Arctic geese largely nest in the high Arctic, but as the snowpack has melted, the geese have more space to nest and breed.
—Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
January is an ideal time to see land birds nesting and sea turtles laying their eggs on the beaches.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German nest nest, Latin nidus
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of nest was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing nest
Dictionary Entries Near nest
Cite this Entry
“Nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
nest
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a place or structure where eggs are laid and hatched or young are raised
a turtle's nest
the nest of a bird
a mouse's nest
b
: the home or shelter of an animal (as a squirrel or chimpanzee)
2
a
: a place of rest, retreat, or lodging : home
grown children who have left the nest
b
: den sense 2, hangout
the robbers' nest
3
: the occupants of a nest
a nest of baby birds
4
: a group of objects made to fit one within another
a nest of measuring cups
nest
2 of 2 verb1
: to build or live in a nest
robins nested in the tree
2
: to fit compactly together or within one another
a set of tables that nest for storage
Medical Definition
nest
noun
: an isolated collection or clump of cells in tissue of a different structure
a nest of sarcomatous cells
More from Merriam-Webster on nest
Nglish: Translation of nest for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of nest for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nest
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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