nest (n st)n. 1. a. A container or shelter made by a bird out of twigs, grass, or other material to hold its eggs and young. b. A similar structure in which fish, insects, or other animals deposit eggs or keep their young. c. A place in which young are reared; a lair. d. A number of insects, birds, or other animals occupying such a place: 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. Computer Science A set of data contained sequentially within another. 6. 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 together in a stack. v.tr. 1. To place in or as if in a nest. 2. To put snugly together or inside one another: to nest boxes. [Middle English, from Old English; see sed- in Indo-European roots.] Word History: Nest is an ancient word, *nizdos in Indo-European, composed of the prefix *ni- "down," plus a form of the verbal root *sed-, "to sit," followed by a suffix used to form nouns, *-os. Thus a *ni-zd-os literally means "(place where the bird) sits down." In Germanic, an old zd became st. Thus *nizdos became *nistaz, which further changed in Old English to nest. Latin also inherited the word *nizdos from Indo-European, where it eventually changed to n  dus. This word has been borrowed into English as a scientific term. The prefix *ni- survives elsewhere in English, too, in the words beneath and nether. |
nest [nɛst]
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) a place or structure in which birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, mice, etc., lay eggs or give birth to young
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) 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) Military a weapon emplacement a machine-gun nest
vb
1. (intr) to make or inhabit a nest
2. (intr) to hunt for birds' nests
3. (tr) to place in a nest
[Old English; related to Latin nīdus (nest) and to beneath, sit]
nester n
nestlike adj
Nest a number or collection of people; a number of birds or insects gathered in the same place; an accumulation of similar objects; a number of buildings or streets; a set of objects. See also aerie, bike, brood, swarm.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  nest - a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their youngnatural object - an object occurring naturally; not made by man drey - the nest of a squirrel mouse nest, mouse's nest - where mice bear and raise their young nidus - a nest in which spiders or insects deposit their eggs |
| 2. | nest - a kind of gun emplacement; "a machine-gun nest"; "a nest of snipers" gun emplacement, weapons emplacement - an emplacement for a gun | |
| 3. | nest - a cosy or secluded retreat retreat - a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet | |
| 4. | nest - a gang of people (criminals or spies or terrorists) assembled in one locality; "a nest of thieves" act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear gang, mob, pack, ring - an association of criminals; "police tried to break up the gang"; "a pack of thieves" sleeper nest - a nest of sleepers awaiting a prearranged signal; "sleeper nests of Islamic terrorists were capable of launching major attacks in Europe" | |
| 5. | nest - furniture pieces made to fit close together article of furniture, furniture, piece of furniture - furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy; "they had too much furniture for the small apartment"; "there was only one piece of furniture in the room" | |
| Verb | 1. | nest - inhabit a nest, usually after building; "birds are nesting outside my window every Spring" |
| 2. | nest - fit together or fit inside; "nested bowls" | |
| 3. | nest - move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position; "We cuddled against each other to keep warm"; "The children snuggled into their sleeping bags" cling to, hold close, hold tight, clutch - hold firmly, usually with one's hands; "She clutched my arm when she got scared" draw close - pull towards oneself; "He drew the crying child close" | |
| 4. | nest - gather nests gather, pull together, collect, garner - assemble or get together; "gather some stones"; "pull your thoughts together" |
nest
Translations
nest [nest]
A. N
1. [of bird] → nido m; [of hen] → nidal m; [of rat, fox] → madriguera f; [of mouse] → ratonera f; [of wasps, hornets] → avispero m; [of ants] → hormiguero m
to fly the nest when the children have flown the nest → cuando los hijos dejen el nido
to feather one's nest → barrer hacia adentro, arrojar piedras al tejado propio
to foul one's own nest → manchar el propio nido
to fly the nest when the children have flown the nest → cuando los hijos dejen el nido
to feather one's nest → barrer hacia adentro, arrojar piedras al tejado propio
to foul one's own nest → manchar el propio nido
2. (fig) [of thieves, spies] → guarida f
3. (= set) [of boxes, tables] → juego m
4. (= gun emplacement) a machine-gun nest → un nido de ametralladoras
C. CPD nest egg N (fig) → ahorros mpl
nest [ˈnɛst]
nest
n
(fig: = den) → Schlupfwinkel m; a nest of spies/criminals → ein Agenten-/Verbrechernest nt; a nest of machine guns → eine Maschinengewehrstellung
n nest [nest]
a structure or place in which birds (and some animals and insects) hatch or give birth to and look after their young The swallows are building a nest under the roof of our house; a wasp's nest. nes عُش гнездо hnízdo rede; -rede das Nest φωλιά nido pesa آسایشگاه pesä nid קֵן घोंसला gnijezdo,skrovište fészek sarang hreiður nido 巣 둥지 lizdas, gūžta ligzda; pūznis sarang nest rede, bol; hule gniazdo ninho cuib гнездо hniezdo gnezdo gnezdo rede, bo รังนก yuva 巢 гніздо گھونسلہ tổ chim 巢
v
to build a nest and live in it A pair of robins are nesting in that bush. nesmaak يُعَشِّش، يَبْني عُشّاً строя гнездо hnízdit bygge rede nisten φωλιάζω anidar pesitsema آشیانه کردن pesiä faire son nid, nicher לְקַנֵן घोंसला बनाना graditi gnijezdo,gnijezditi se fészket rak membuat sarang byggja hreiður nidificare, fare il nido 巣をつくる 둥지에 짓다 sukti lizdą ligzdot membuat sarang nestelen bygge rede gnieździć się fazer ninho a-şi face cuib гнездиться hniezdiť gnezditi gnezditi se bygga bo วางอย่างเป็นระเบียบ yuva yapmak 築巢 вити гніздо; гніздитися گھونسلہ بنانا làm tổ 筑巢
n nestling [-liŋ]
a young bird (still in the nest). nesvoël, neskuiken فَرْخ طائِر голишар pískle, ptačí mládě fugleunge der Nestling νεοσσός pajarito udusulis linnupoeg بچه پرندگان linnunpoikanen oisillon גוֹזָל पक्षी का नवजात बच्चा tek izležena ptica madárfióka anak burung yang masih di sarang hreiðurungi uccellino ひな (둥우리를 떠나기 전의) 새새끼 jauniklis, paukščiukas putnēns anak burung di dalam sarang nestvogel fugleunge pisklę cria pui (неоперившийся) птенец holíča ptičji mladič ptić fågelunge ลูกอ่อนของนก yuva kuşu, kuş civcivi 雛鳥 пташеня; маля بے بال و پر بچہ chim non 雏鸟
n nest-egg
a sum of money saved up for the future. neseier, spaargeld بَيضة العُش: مَبلَغ مالي مُوَفَّر للمُسْتَقْبَل спестявания peněžní rezerva sparepenge der Notgroschen οικονομίες, κομπόδεμα ahorros pesamuna تخمى که درلانه مرغ ميگذارند تا مرغ تخم کند pesämuna pécule חֶסכוֹנוֹת भविष्य के लिए सुरक्षित धन ušteđevina félretett pénzecske tabungan sparifé gruzzolo 貯金 밑돈, 비상금 santaupos juodai dienai ietaupījums wang simpanan een appeltje voor de dorst spareskilling oszczędności pé-de-meia bani puşi deoparte сбережения на чёрный день peňažná rezerva prihranek ušteđevina reservsumma, sparad slant จำนวนเงินที่เก็บไว้ใช้ในอนาคต ihtiyat akçesi, yedek para 儲備金 гроші, відкладені на чорний день; заначка پس انداز رقم tiền tiết kiệm 储备金
feather one's (own) nest, feather
nest → عش hnízdo rede Nest φωλιά nido pesä nid gnijezdo nido 巣 둥지 nest rede gniazdo ninho гнездо bo รัง yuva tổ 巢
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