nes·tle

[nes-uhl] verb, nes·tled, nes·tling.
verb (used without object)
1.
to lie close and snug, like a bird in a nest; snuggle or cuddle.
2.
to lie or be located in a sheltered spot; be naturally or pleasantly situated: a cottage nestling in a pine grove.
3.
Archaic.
a.
to make or have a nest.
b.
to make one's home; settle in a home.
verb (used with object)
4.
to settle or ensconce snugly: He nestled himself into the hay for a short nap.
5.
to put or press confidingly or affectionately: She nestled her head on his shoulder.
6.
to provide with or settle in a nest, as a bird.
00:10
Nestle is one of our favorite verbs.
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
to run away hurriedly; flee.
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.

Origin:
before 1000; Middle English nestlen, Old English nestlian, cognate with Dutch nestelen. See nest, -le

nes·tler, noun
un·nes·tled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To nestle
Collins
World English Dictionary
nestle (ˈnɛsəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  (intr; often foll by up or down) to snuggle, settle, or cuddle closely
2.  (intr) to be in a sheltered or protected position; lie snugly
3.  (tr) to shelter or place snugly or partly concealed, as in a nest
 
[Old English nestlian. See nest]
 
'nestler
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nestle
O.E. nestlian "build a nest," from nest (see nest). Figurative sense of "settle (oneself) comfortably, snuggle" is first recorded 1547.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Conversely, at depths where little sunlight penetrates, the algae nestle right inside the coral's pigment bundles.
Traditional buds nestle gently into your ear-hole, and usually have some sort of rubber tip to secure them there.
Red-roofed villages nestle in the folds of hills and along river valleys.
It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere.
Related Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT