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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In the older strata, the animals were preserved in three dimensions, often in sleeping positions or in nests, or as a guardian of nests, a predator attacking a mammal, or even dinos locked in a fight. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024 All of the hives were placed in the field by Staab ahead of time to demonstrate Gerty's ability to locate the nests. Nicole Cobler, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Goodbye The 34-year-old actress, who had been keeping busy throughout her pregnancy, has been nesting at her Venice Beach home with Ackerley, preparing for their little one’s arrival. Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2024 Birds living or nesting on the ground are run over. Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nest 

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 24 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!