bird's-nest

(intr) to search for the nests of birds in order to collect the eggs

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bird's-nest

Past participle: bird's-nested
Gerund: bird's-nesting

Imperative
bird's-nest
bird's-nest

Present
I bird's-nest
you bird's-nest
he/she/it bird's-nests
we bird's-nest
you bird's-nest
they bird's-nest

Preterite
I bird's-nested
you bird's-nested
he/she/it bird's-nested
we bird's-nested
you bird's-nested
they bird's-nested

Present Continuous
I am bird's-nesting
you are bird's-nesting
he/she/it is bird's-nesting
we are bird's-nesting
you are bird's-nesting
they are bird's-nesting

Present Perfect
I have bird's-nested
you have bird's-nested
he/she/it has bird's-nested
we have bird's-nested
you have bird's-nested
they have bird's-nested

Past Continuous
I was bird's-nesting
you were bird's-nesting
he/she/it was bird's-nesting
we were bird's-nesting
you were bird's-nesting
they were bird's-nesting

Past Perfect
I had bird's-nested
you had bird's-nested
he/she/it had bird's-nested
we had bird's-nested
you had bird's-nested
they had bird's-nested

Future
I will bird's-nest
you will bird's-nest
he/she/it will bird's-nest
we will bird's-nest
you will bird's-nest
they will bird's-nest

Future Perfect
I will have bird's-nested
you will have bird's-nested
he/she/it will have bird's-nested
we will have bird's-nested
you will have bird's-nested
they will have bird's-nested

Future Continuous
I will be bird's-nesting
you will be bird's-nesting
he/she/it will be bird's-nesting
we will be bird's-nesting
you will be bird's-nesting
they will be bird's-nesting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been bird's-nesting
you have been bird's-nesting
he/she/it has been bird's-nesting
we have been bird's-nesting
you have been bird's-nesting
they have been bird's-nesting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been bird's-nesting
you will have been bird's-nesting
he/she/it will have been bird's-nesting
we will have been bird's-nesting
you will have been bird's-nesting
they will have been bird's-nesting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been bird's-nesting
you had been bird's-nesting
he/she/it had been bird's-nesting
we had been bird's-nesting
you had been bird's-nesting
they had been bird's-nesting

Conditional
I would bird's-nest
you would bird's-nest
he/she/it would bird's-nest
we would bird's-nest
you would bird's-nest
they would bird's-nest

Past Conditional
I would have bird's-nested
you would have bird's-nested
he/she/it would have bird's-nested
we would have bird's-nested
you would have bird's-nested
they would have bird's-nested

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

But Joe, taking it up carefully with both hands, like a bird's-nest with eggs in it, wouldn't hear of parting with that piece of property, and persisted in standing talking over it in a most uncomfortable way.

All this time (still with both hands taking great care of the bird's-nest), Joe was rolling his eyes round and round the room, and round and round the flowered pattern of my dressing-gown.

View in context

I beg, therefore, to be understood as foregoing the bird's-nest. But my picture does represent the true lover as having no existence separable from that of the beloved object of his affections, and as living at once a doubled life and a halved life.

View in context