nest

1 of 2

noun

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
3
: the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4
a
: a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountainsHelen 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

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

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
My main criticism would be that anyone reading the response might not be cognizant of the hornet’s nest underlying the question. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 As the sun crept below the Wildflower Center's Savanna Meadow, Gerty the German shorthaired pointer was hard at work, following the scent of bee nests hidden throughout a field. Nicole Cobler, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Share [Findings] Humboldt penguins who nest in the open have more pollutant metabolites in their blood than do penguins who nest in guano-rich burrows. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Suburban sprawl was the biggest culprit, conservation groups say, with residential and commercial development tearing up owl habitat across the state and giving the funky little birds precious little space to nest and breed. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nest 

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

Dictionary Entries Near nest

Cite this Entry

“Nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nest

1 of 2 noun
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
: an isolated collection or clump of cells in tissue of a different structure
a nest of sarcomatous cells

More from Merriam-Webster on nest

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