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
3
: the occupants or frequenters of a nest
4
a
: a group of similar things
a nest of giant mountains—
Helen MacInnes
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
nested; nesting; nests
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
Synonyms
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
H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
The female will deposit eggs outside of the body, usually near the bottom of a body of water or in a nest built out of rocks and other sediment.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Barringer Crater is nested in the Arizona desert with a depth of 570 feet (174 meters) and 4,100 feet (1.25 kilometers) across.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nest 
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Noun
The South Asian American ethnic sub-genre also stands out for its take on family relations, which contrast with the typical narratives about heroines who fly the nest and learn to live independently.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
The female will deposit eggs outside of the body, usually near the bottom of a body of water or in a nest built out of rocks and other sediment.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
Fire prevents the growth of competing vegetation and maintains the open, savanna-like conditions these woodpeckers need to nest and forage.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Barringer Crater is nested in the Arizona desert with a depth of 570 feet (174 meters) and 4,100 feet (1.25 kilometers) across.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nest
Dictionary Entries Near nest
Cite this Entry
“Nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nest
1 of 2 noun1
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 verb1
: 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
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