nidus

noun

ni·​dus ˈnī-dəs 

plural nidi ˈnī-ˌdī  or niduses

1

: a nest or breeding place

especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply

2

: a place where something originates, develops, or is located

Did you know?

Nidus literally means "nest" in Latin, and some of its relatives in English suggest this connection in a straightforward way. For example, we have nidification for the process of building a nest, and nidicolous, meaning "reared in a nest." But nidus itself, when used as an English word, is apt to refer to a place where bacteria lodge and multiply. Consequently, the extended use of nidus in English often has a negative connotation referring to a source of undesirable opinions or behaviors.

Synonyms

• breeding ground
• hotbed
• hothouse
• nest
• nursery
• seedbed
• seminary

Examples of nidus in a Sentence

a type of contact lens that proved to be a nidus of infection

Recent Examples on the Web

To deliberately collapse and compress a lobe of lung, and with it, its nidus of festering infection. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2017

The indisputably desirable goal of supporting walking, biking and bus-riding around an Uptown nidus was severely wounded. —Star Tribune, 30 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Medical Definition

nidus

noun

ni·​dus ˈnī-dəs 

plural nidi -ˌdī  or niduses

: a place where something originates or is fostered or develops

specifically : the point of origin or focus of an infection or disease process