nest
noun
\ ˈnest
\
\
Definition of nest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: 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
2a
: a place of rest, retreat, or lodging : home
grown children who have left the nest
3
: the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4a
: a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountains— Helen 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
verb
nested;
nesting;
nests
Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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
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Synonyms for nest
Synonyms: Noun
breeding ground, hotbed, hothouse, nidus, nursery, seedbed, seminary
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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
Fledglings have left the nest and are now feeding with adult birds. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Water-loving coots are longtime familiar sights," 15 Aug. 2019 Viewers young and old can expect the towering character to get permission from Granny Bird to flee the nest and check back in with Elmo and his neighbors via video chat throughout the upcoming season. — Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, "Mayor Garcetti, who grew up loving the show, declares Sesame Street Day in L.A.," 2 Aug. 2019 To find, remember, and navigate among egg nests and tadpole nurseries in such a complex, changeable landscape requires a brain that can make and revise a mental map of its surroundings. — Geetha Iyer, National Geographic, "This surprisingly smart frog makes maps in its mind," 25 July 2019 Perches and 10 nests and wooden houses provide the lodging in this village. — Georgann Yara, azcentral, "This Mesa home gives new meaning to ‘bird house’ with a 2-story aviary," 11 July 2019 Artillery, bird’s nest and slime fungus are common. — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Weather prime for fungus problems," 28 June 2019 The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 covers all migratory birds, their nests and their eggs, which means that the birds can't be harmed without federal permission. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "Proposed legislation could help farmers deal with 'real and costly' vulture attacks," 25 June 2019 There was footage of shorebirds, taken before the crows arrived and learned to raid nests, and footage of the cats that once lived in the rafters of Larry’s boat. — Joe Kloc, Harper's magazine, "Lost at Sea," 10 June 2019 The high platform tree house is inspired by a bird or animal nest and provides a wonderful place to retreat and look out through the trees. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Kate Middleton’s Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show Pays Tribute to Princess Diana," 23 May 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Lights on shore during nesting season confuse turtles. — John Christopher Fine, sun-sentinel.com, "Rejoice as turtles make their return | Opinion," 15 Aug. 2019 These cubes nest into the floor, a bit like Legos, and are made from lightweight, weather-resistant plastic. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Why this vintage-style camper is the future of travel trailers," 14 Aug. 2019 The second purpose of singing is to attract a mate for nesting. — David Steadman, The Conversation, "Why do birds sing?," 19 July 2019 North Carolina Hatteras: Sea turtles have again set a record for nesting at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. — USA TODAY, "Barbie, Tupac, scorpions and Red Vines: News from around our 50 states," 19 July 2019 Some pigeons escaped and made their way to cities, where the ledges of tall buildings were as hospitable for nesting as the cliffs of their wild homes. — National Geographic, "How pigeons landed in cities, and more breakthroughs," 12 June 2019 The study concludes that flamingos once lived in Florida in flocks of up to 2,500 birds and may have even nested there. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "A Case for Wild Flamingos Calling Florida Their Home," 21 Feb. 2018 According to state records, there were 68 nesting bald eagle pairs documented in Massachusetts during 2017. — Michael P. Norton, BostonGlobe.com, "Bald eagle recovering, two bee species marked as endangered in Mass.," 16 Aug. 2019 The Atlantic beaches along the coastline in Palm Beach County account for major turtle-nesting sites where these large, docile marine mammals return, year after year. — John Christopher Fine, sun-sentinel.com, "Rejoice as turtles make their return | Opinion," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nest
nest
noun
English Language Learners Definition of nest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the place where a bird lays its eggs and takes care of its young
: a place where an animal or insect lives and usually lays eggs or takes care of its young
: a home where people live
nest
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of nest (Entry 2 of 2)
: to build or live in a nest
: to fit inside each other
See the full definition for nest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nest