nest: Meaning and Definition of

nest

1. a pocketlike, usually more or less circular structure of twigs, grass, mud, etc., formed by a bird, often high in a tree, as a place in which to lay and incubate its eggs and rear its young; any protected place used by a bird for these purposes.
2. a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young.
3. a number of birds, insects, animals, etc., inhabiting one such place.
4. a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.
5. an assemblage of things lying or set close together, as a series of boxes or trays, that fit within each other: a nest of tables.
6. a place where something bad is fostered or flourishes: a nest of vice; a robber's nest.
7. the occupants or frequenters of such a place.

1. to settle or place (something) in or as if in a nest: to nest dishes in straw.
2. to fit or place one within another: to nest boxes for more compact storage.

1. to build or have a nest: The swallows nested under the eaves.
2. to settle in or as if in a nest.
3. to fit together or within another or one another: bowls that nest easily for storage.
4. to search for or collect nests: to go nesting.
5. to place a routine inside another routine that is at a higher hierarchical level.