Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A young bird that has not yet left its nest.
  • noun A young child.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of making a nest or going to nest; the act of settling or cuddling down.
  • noun A nest or nestling-place.
  • noun A young bird in the nest, or just from the nest.
  • noun The smallest bird in the nest; the weakest of the brood.
  • Being still a nestling; being yet in the nest.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A young bird which has not abandoned the nest.
  • noun obsolete A nest; a receptacle.
  • adjective Newly hatched; being yet in the nest.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small bird that is still confined to the nest.
  • verb Present participle of nestle.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun young bird not yet fledged
  • noun a young person of either sex

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Semi-consciously she half-turned on her side, curved her free arm on the pillow and nestled her head on it, and drew her body up in nestling curves in the way Dick knew she loved to sleep.

    CHAPTER XXXI 2010

  • Semi-consciously she half-turned on her side, curved her free arm on the pillow and nestled her head on it, and drew her body up in nestling curves in the way Dick knew she loved to sleep.

    The Little Lady of the Big House, by Jack London 1916

  • He picked out another nestling from the young brood, and again sailed away.

    Rural Hours 1887

  • I thought the idea of nestling an arena inside four towers was really, really interesting, and I thought it would have been a really exciting project.

    Talking SHoP About Atlantic Yards 2009

  • I thought the idea of nestling an arena inside four towers was really, really interesting, and I thought it would have been a really exciting project.

    Talking SHoP About Atlantic Yards 2009

  • "One more question," stalled Ariakas, the hilt of his sword nestling comfortably in his palm.

    Emperor of Ansalon Niles, Douglas 1993

  • So we shouldn't be surprised to find this set drooling over the prospect of "nestling" in the public sector, particularly the K-12 education "market."

    Brian Jones: Karl Marx: Teacher of the Year? Brian Jones 2011

  • So we shouldn't be surprised to find this set drooling over the prospect of "nestling" in the public sector, particularly the K-12 education "market."

    Brian Jones: Karl Marx: Teacher of the Year? Brian Jones 2011

  • This will help keep the silverware from "nestling," but please note the knives should be placed with the blade down and handle up as a safety precaution.

    Hints From Heloise 2010

  • But nothing more came, and the old gentleman droned on about other things till poor Ben felt that he must either go to sleep like the Squire, or tip the stool over by accident, since "nestling" was forbidden, and relief of some sort he _must_ have.

    St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, V. 5, Nov 1877-Nov 1878 Scribner's Illustrated Various 1868

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