nest

1 of 2

noun

ˈnest 

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

a

: 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

4

a

: a group of similar things

… town cradled in its nest of hills …

—Amitav Ghosh

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

see also:

feather one's nest

nest

2 of 2

verb

nested; nesting; nests

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 of nest

Noun

• center
• nursery
• seminary
• nidus
• capital

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 Colonial-style home in Greensboro, built in 2000, has wraparound verandas on the upper and lower floors, plus a third-floor observation space similar to the clubhouse’s crow’s nest. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026

Their most obvious use was as sniper nests for shooting the ostriches. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Striped stone nesting tables by Made Goods deliver a graphic pop. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2026

Many species like owls, bats, and squirrels use hollow cavities for nesting. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing nest

• bird's-nest fern
• bird's nest soup
• crow's nest
• empty-nest syndrome
• feather one's nest
• hornet's nest
• leave/flee the nest
• love nest
• mare's nest
• nest egg

Rhymes for nest

• blessed
• blest
• breast
• chest
• crest
• dressed
• fest
• gest
• geste
• guessed
• jest
• lest

Kids Definition

nest

1 of 2 noun

ˈnest 

1

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 verb

1

: 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

ˈnest 

: an isolated collection or clump of cells in tissue of a different structure

a nest of sarcomatous cells