nest

nest — noun

1. a bowl-shaped home that birds weave from twigs, grass, or mud to lay their eggs

1.nounA2
Definition

a bowl-shaped home that birds weave from twigs, grass, or mud to lay their eggs in and rear their young, or a similar shelter that insects and other tiny animals make for their babies

Example

A sparrow built a nest in the old mailbox outside the Watanabes' house.

nest built in an unusual place

João spotted a robin's nest tucked inside the garden hedge with three blue eggs.

Common collocations
  • build a nest
  • line a nest
  • leave the nest
  • bird's nest
  • empty nest
Synonyms
  • burrow

    a hole dug in the ground by rabbits, badgers, or similar animals for living and raising young

  • den

    the hidden home of a wild mammal such as a fox, bear, or lion

  • hive

    a structure where bees live and store honey, made of wax

Grammar Patterns

a nest (of/built by [animal])

nest + verb (hold/contain/protect)

Usage Note

For mammals, speakers usually choose a more specific word: 'den' for foxes and bears, 'burrow' for rabbits and badgers, 'lair' for lions and tigers.

Common Mistakes

The rabbit made a nest in the ground.
The rabbit made a burrow in the ground.
'nest' is for birds and insects; rabbits dig 'burrows'.

2. a place where someone lives that feels warm, safe, and comfortable — the kind of

2.nounB1
Definition

a place where someone lives that feels warm, safe, and comfortable — the kind of home that gives you a sense of peace and belonging

Example

After years of moving between rented rooms, the Chang family finally had a nest they could call their own.

Élise turned her attic studio into a cosy little nest with cushions, fairy lights, and warm blankets.

cosy little nest — common informal pattern

Common collocations
  • cosy nest
  • warm nest
  • little nest
  • love nest
  • family nest
Synonyms
  • home

    the neutral, standard word for where someone lives; less metaphorical than 'nest'

  • haven

    a place where you feel safe and sheltered from trouble, more literary

  • refuge

    a place you escape to for protection, stronger in meaning

Antonyms
  • cage

    a place that feels restrictive rather than warm and comfortable

Grammar Patterns

a nest (for [someone])

a cosy/warm/little nest

Usage Note

Always used affectionately — calling a home a 'nest' suggests warmth, security, and comfort, never a negative judgment. A 'love nest' is a home shared by a romantic couple.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'They bought a new house, but it doesn't feel like a nest yet.' — This is actually correct; it's fine as a metaphor. A more common error is using it in formal writing where 'home' would be better.

3. a place where harmful, secret, or illegal activities develop and grow — for exam

3.nounB2
Definition

a place where harmful, secret, or illegal activities develop and grow — for example, a hideout used by criminals to plan robberies or a secret centre of political plotting

Example

The police discovered a nest of counterfeiters operating in an abandoned warehouse.

nest of + criminals — common pattern

The small coastal town had become a nest of smugglers who moved goods by night.

Common collocations
  • nest of spies
  • nest of criminals
  • nest of corruption
  • nest of intrigue
Synonyms
  • hotbed

    a place where a particular activity, usually something bad, is very active and growing fast

  • den

    a secret meeting place for people involved in illegal activities

  • hub

    a centre of activity; neutral rather than negative

Grammar Patterns

a nest of [bad people/activities]

Usage Note

Always followed by 'of' plus a noun describing the bad activity or people (nest of spies, nest of thieves, nest of intrigue). The word carries a strong negative judgment — it implies the problem is well-established and hard to eliminate.

Common Mistakes

The kitchen was a nest of mess.
The kitchen was a mess.
'nest' implies organised harmful activity, not ordinary untidiness.

4. a group of matching household items, such as bowls, tables, or boxes, that are m

4.nounB2
Definition

a group of matching household items, such as bowls, tables, or boxes, that are made in graduated sizes so each one fits neatly and compactly inside the next larger one

Example

The wooden bowls were sold as a nest of three, each one fitting inside the next.

nest of + number — common pattern

Tyler bought a nest of tables for the living room because they save space when stacked.

Common collocations
  • nest of tables
  • nest of bowls
  • nesting tables
  • nesting bowls
  • nest of boxes
Synonyms
  • set

    a group of items that belong together, not necessarily designed to fit inside each other

  • stack

    items designed to be placed one on top of another rather than one inside another

Grammar Patterns

nest of [items]

nesting [item] — as compound noun

Usage Note

Often used as the first part of a compound noun: 'nesting tables', 'nesting bowls', 'nesting dolls'. The phrase 'a nest of tables' refers to the complete set, while 'nesting tables' describes the design feature.

Common Mistakes

I need a nest for my new plates.
I need a set of nesting bowls for my kitchen.
'nest' describes the design feature, not the container for objects.
Idioms

feather your (own) nest

idiom

to make yourself richer, especially by taking money that should belong to the organisation you work for or by using a position of trust for personal gain

The charity director was caught feathering his own nest by transferring donations into private accounts.

Politicians who award contracts to their relatives are clearly feathering their nests at public expense.

fly the nest

idiom

to leave your parents' home for the first time to live independently, typically as a young adult

When their youngest son flew the nest, the couple decided to sell the family house and travel.

Mayumi was nervous but excited to fly the nest and start university in another city.

a hornet's nest

idiom

a situation full of anger, trouble, or controversy, especially one that you cause by doing or saying something that provokes strong reactions

The journalist's article stirred up a hornet's nest when it accused the mayor of accepting bribes.

By criticising the company's management publicly, Christopher had truly put his hand in a hornet's nest.

a hornets’ nest

idiom

A situation that causes many people to become angry or upset.

The mayor's comments stirred up a hornets' nest at the meeting.

Did the new policy create a hornets' nest among the employees?

a mare’s nest

idiom

Something that seems important or valuable but turns out to be worthless or false.

The scientist's discovery turned out to be a mare's nest.

Is this old map a mare's nest or a real treasure?

nest — verb

Word family

  • nesting
    nounB2
  • nesting
    adjectiveB2
  • nested
    adjectiveB2
  • nestful
    nounC1
  • nestle
    verbB1
  • nestling
    nounC1
  • nest egg
    idiomB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words all describe animal homes, but they differ in which animal they refer to and the kind of structure involved. A 'nest' is usually built above ground or in elevated places — birds weave nests from twigs and grass, wasps make papery nests from chewed wood. A 'burrow' is a tunnel dug into the ground, associated with rabbits, badgers, moles, and foxes — the key idea is excavation, not construction. A 'den' is a wild mammal's hidden resting place, often a natural cavity rather than something built: bears den in caves, lions den in rocky crevices. A 'hive' is specifically a bees' home, a structured colony of wax cells where honey is stored. A 'lair' is the resting place of a large predatory animal such as a lion, tiger, or dragon, often carrying a menacing tone. In figurative use, 'nest' (comfortable home), 'den' (secret meeting place), and 'burrow' (cosy, hidden space) diverge further in meaning, so context is essential.

nest ↗burrow ↗denhive ↗lair

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bird nest
  • wasp nest
  • ant nest
  • rat nest

Adverbs

  • comfortably nested
  • neatly nested
  • deeply nested
  • securely nested

Phrases

  • build a nest
  • make a nest
  • leave the nest
  • empty the nest
  • nest of tables
  • nest of criminals

Prepositions

  • in a nest
  • inside a nest
  • out of the nest
  • nest of
  • nest under

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanGermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'nest' comes from Old English 'nest', which goes back to a prehistoric Germanic root 'nistaz'. This root is built from two older parts: 'ni-' (meaning 'down' or 'below', related to 'beneath' and 'nether') and '-st-' (a suffix meaning 'to stand' or 'to sit'). So the original meaning was literally 'a place where you sit down' — a basic sense of a resting spot. The same ancient root produced German 'Nest', Dutch 'nest', and Swedish 'näste'. The verb form appeared in English around the 13th century, and the computing sense emerged in the 1960s as programmers borrowed the idea of objects fitting inside one another.