nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈne-səl 

nestled; nestling ˈne-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

archaic : nest sense 1

2

: to settle snugly or comfortably

3

: to lie in an inconspicuous or sheltered manner

transitive verb

1

: to settle, shelter, or house in or as if in a nest

the children were nestled all snug in their beds

—Clement Moore

2

: to press closely and affectionately

nestles a kitten in her arms

nestler

ˈne-s(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms

• cuddle
• nuzzle
• snoozle [chiefly dialect]
• snuggle

Examples of nestle in a Sentence

He nestled his head against his mother's shoulder.

She carefully nestled the hamster into its cage.

The fly ball nestled into the outfielder's glove.

Recent Examples on the Web

He and his brother were still nestled in their bunk beds when Easton came into the boys’ room the next morning and told them their mother killed herself. —Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2025

What a plum spot in January that Sundance is nestled across. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025

It's nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and home to small business entrepreneurs, artists and activists. —Sasha Hupka, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025

Meanwhile, Alta Cannabis nestled in Chinatown, tells a different kind of story. —Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nestlian, from nest

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈnes-əl 

nestled; nestling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to lie close and snug : cuddle

2

: to settle as if in a nest

nestler

-(ə-)lər 

noun