Nest , v. t. To put into a nest; to form
a nest for.
From
him who nested himself into the chief power.
South.
Nest (?), v. i. To build and occupy a nest.
The
king of birds nested within his leaves.
Howell.
Nest (?), n. [AS. nest; akin to D. & G. nest, Sw. näste, L. nidus, for nisdus, Skr.
nī&?;a resting place, nest; cf. Lith. lizdas, Arm. neiz, Gael. & Ir. nead. Prob. from the particle ni down, Skr. ni + the root of E. sit, and thus orig., a place to sit
down in. √ 264. See Nether, and Sit, and cf. Eyas, Nidification, Nye.]
1. The bed or receptacle prepared by a fowl for holding her eggs and for hatching and rearing her young.
The birds of the
air have nests.
Matt. viii. 20. 2.
Hence: the place in which the eggs of other animals, as insects, turtles, etc., are laid and hatched; a snug place
in which young animals are reared.
Bentley.
3. A snug, comfortable, or cozy residence or situation; a retreat, or place of habitual resort; hence, those who occupy a
nest, frequent a haunt, or are associated in the same pursuit; as, a
nest of traitors; a nest of
bugs.
A little cottage, like some poor man's nest.
Spenser.
4. (Geol.) An aggregated
mass of any
ore or mineral, in an isolated state, within a rock.
5. A collection of boxes, cases, or the like, of graduated size, each put within the one next
larger.
6. (Mech.) A compact group of pulleys, gears, springs,
etc., working together
or collectively.
Nest egg, an egg left in the nest to prevent the hen from
forsaking it, and to induce her
to lay more
in the same
place; hence, figuratively,
something laid up as the beginning of a fund or collection. Hudibras.
Hear it pronounced