1. Home
  2. Dictionary
  3. Nest

Definition of Nest in English :

Define Nest in English

Nest meaning in English

Meaning of Nest in English

Pronunciation of Nest in English

Nest pronunciation in English

Pronounce Nest in English

Nest

see synonyms of nest

Noun

1. nest

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

2. nest

a kind of gun emplacement

Example Sentences:
'a machine-gun nest'
'a nest of snipers'

3. nest

a cosy or secluded retreat

4. nest

a gang of people (criminals or spies or terrorists) assembled in one locality

Example Sentences:
'a nest of thieves'

5. nest

furniture pieces made to fit close together

Verb

6. nest

inhabit a nest, usually after building

Example Sentences:
'birds are nesting outside my window every Spring'

7. nest

fit together or fit inside

Example Sentences:
'nested bowls'

8. cuddle, draw close, nest, nestle, nuzzle, snuggle

move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position

Example Sentences:
'We cuddled against each other to keep warm'
'The children snuggled into their sleeping bags'

9. nest

gather nests

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Nest

see synonyms of nest
noun
1. 
a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc, lay eggs or give birth to young
2. 
a number of animals of the same species and their young occupying a common habitat
an ants' nest
3. 
a place fostering something undesirable
a nest of thievery
4. 
the people in such a place
a nest of thieves
5. 
a cosy or secluded place
6. 
a set of things, usually of graduated sizes, designed to fit together
a nest of tables
7. military
a weapon emplacement
a machine-gun nest
verb
8. (intransitive)
to make or inhabit a nest
9. (intransitive)
to hunt for birds' nests
10. (transitive)
to place in a nest

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Nest

see synonyms of nest
noun
1. 
the structure made or the place chosen by birds for laying their eggs and sheltering their young
2. 
a. 
the place used by turtles, hornets, fish, etc. for spawning or breeding
b. 
the structure made or the place chosen by any of certain wild animals as its home
a squirrel's nest
3. 
a cozy or snug place in which to live or rest; retreat
4. 
a. 
a haunt or den
used esp. in an unfavorable sense
b. 
the people who frequent such a place
a nest of criminals
5. 
a brood, swarm, or colony of birds, insects, etc.
6. 
a set or series of similar things, each fitting within the one next larger
verb intransitive
7. 
to build or live in or as in a nest
8. 
to fit one into another
9. 
to hunt for birds' nests
usually in the present participle
verb transitive
10. 
to make a nest for
11. 
to place or settle in or as in a nest
12. 
to fit (an object) closely within another
13.  Computing
to embed (a loop, subroutine, etc.) between the first and last instructions of another

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Nest

see synonyms of nest
n.
1.
a. A structure or shelter made or used by a bird to hold its eggs during incubation and to house its young until fledged.
b. A structure or shelter in which other animals, such as reptiles, fish, or insects, deposit their eggs or tend their young.
c. A structure or complex built by ants, termites, or other social animals to house a colony.
d. A number of insects, birds, or other animals occupying a nest: attacked by a nest of hornets.
2. A place affording snug refuge or lodging; a home.
3.
a. A place or environment that fosters rapid growth or development, especially of something undesirable; a hotbed: a nest of criminal activity.
b. Those who occupy or frequent such a place or environment.
4.
a. A set of objects of graduated size that can be stacked together, each fitting within the one immediately larger: a nest of tables.
b. A cluster of similar things.
5. A group of weapons in a prepared position: a machine-gun nest.
v. nest·ed, nest·ing, nests
v.intr.
1. To build or occupy a nest.
2. To create and settle into a warm and secure refuge.
3. To hunt for birds' nests, especially in order to collect the eggs.
4. To fit one inside another.
v.tr.
1. To place in or as if in a nest.
2. To put snugly together or inside one another: to nest boxes.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

WORD OF THE DAY

usury

FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS

Recent Searches