Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin:

nest

1 noun
     
nest
NEW! See related topics: ANIMALSBIRDSINSECTS
nest1 [countable]
1HBB

birds

a place made or chosen by a bird to lay its eggs in and to live in:
In May the females build a nest and lay their eggs.
Young eagles leave the nest after only two months.
2HBIHBA

insects/animals

a place where insects or small animals live:
a field mouse's nest
3

leave/fly the nest

to leave your parents' home and start living somewhere else when you are an adult:
Both daughters were ready to fly the nest.
4

nest of spies/thieves/intrigue etc

a place where people are secretly doing a lot of illegal or dishonest things
5DHF

nest of tables/boxes etc

a set of tables etc that fit inside each other

➔ feather your nest

at feather2 (1)

; ➔ mare's nest

at mare (2), love nest
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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