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

With his come-one-come-all invitation to anyone with a camera, Sanders has transformed the Colorado Buffaloes, a program nestled in the affluent, predominantly white Denver suburb of Boulder, into appointment viewing. —Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024

Steve Terry and his son Kyler discovered a post on Facebook showing two dogs – one black, one brown – nestled against the headstone of Steve’s late father, Sam Terry. —Kutv Staff, Baltimore Sun, 25 Dec. 2024

Why does this fairy tree nestled in this small English town mean so much to me? —Windsor Johnston, NPR, 22 Dec. 2024

Qualley also included a few photos about the newborn, who was nestled in a onesie in one snap. —Hannah Sacks, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024

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