Library / English Dictionary

NEST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A kind of gun emplacement

Example:

a nest of snipers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("nest" is a kind of...):

gun emplacement; weapons emplacement (an emplacement for a gun)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Furniture pieces made to fit close together

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("nest" is a kind of...):

article of furniture; furniture; piece of furniture (furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy)

Derivation:

nest (fit together or fit inside)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Example:

a nest of thieves

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("nest" is a kind of...):

gang; mob; pack; ring (an association of criminals)

Domain category:

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)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nest"):

sleeper nest (a nest of sleepers awaiting a prearranged signal)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A cosy or secluded retreat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("nest" is a kind of...):

retreat (a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet)

Sense 5

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("nest" is a kind of...):

natural object (an object occurring naturally; not made by man)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nest"):

beehive; hive (a structure that provides a natural habitation for bees; as in a hollow tree)

bird's nest; bird nest; birdnest (nest where birds lay their eggs and hatch their young)

drey (the nest of a squirrel)

mouse's nest; mouse nest (where mice bear and raise their young)

nidus (a nest in which spiders or insects deposit their eggs)

Derivation:

nest (gather nests)

nest (inhabit a nest, usually after building)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gather nests

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "nest" is one way to...):

collect; garner; gather; pull together (assemble or get together)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

In the summer they like to go out and nest

Derivation:

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

nester (a bird that has built (or is building) a nest)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position

Example:

The children snuggled into their sleeping bags

Synonyms:

cuddle; draw close; nest; nestle; nuzzle; snuggle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "nest" is one way to...):

cling to; clutch; hold close; hold tight (hold firmly, usually with one's hands)

Verb group:

nestle; snuggle (position comfortably)

draw close (pull towards oneself)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fit together or fit inside

Example:

nested bowls

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "nest" is one way to...):

embed; engraft; imbed; implant; plant (fix or set securely or deeply)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

nest (furniture pieces made to fit close together)

nester (a bird that has built (or is building) a nest)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Inhabit a nest, usually after building

Example:

birds are nesting outside my window every Spring

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "nest" is one way to...):

dwell; inhabit; live; populate (be an inhabitant of or reside in)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

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

nester (a bird that has built (or is building) a nest)

Credits

 Context examples: 

“I heard of a man, once, who invaded the nesting grounds of wild geese,” Maud said. “They killed him.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It was no uncommon thing now for him to stumble and fall; and stumbling once, he fell squarely into a ptarmigan nest.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A rare malignant neoplasm characterized by the presence of large epithelioid cells with abundant cytoplasm forming nests and pseudoalveolar structures.

(Alveolar soft part sarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Microscopically, a characteristic nesting (zellballen) growth pattern is usually seen.

(Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus)

He smelled around the stuffed man as if he suspected there might be a nest of rats in the straw, and he often growled in an unfriendly way at the Scarecrow.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

It is characterized by the presence of a melanocytic proliferation resulting in the formation of uniform cellular nests.

(Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus, NCI Thesaurus)

It is composed of irregular proliferating nests and islands of epithelium, including solid and gland-like sebaceous elements, surrounded by lymphoid stroma.

(Parotid Gland Sebaceous Lymphadenoma, NCI Thesaurus)

The nests are composed of epithelioid cells and are separated by delicate fibrous strands.

(Paraganglioma-Like Dermal Melanocytic Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by the presence of nested epithelioid and spindle cells.

(Calcifying Nested Epithelial Stromal Tumor of the Liver, NCI Thesaurus)

An aggressive variant of cervical squamous cell carcinoma characterized by the presence of nests of malignant basaloid squamous cells with scant amount of cytoplasm.

(Cervical Basaloid Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)