Define the word nestling"Nestling" gcide "The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48"
Nestle \Nes"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Nestled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Nestling.] [AS. nestlian.]
1. To make and occupy a nest; to nest. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
The kingfisher . . . nestles in hollow banks.
--L'Estrange.
[1913 Webster]
2. To lie close and snug, as a bird in her nest; to cuddle
up; to settle, as in a nest; to harbor; to take shelter.
[1913 Webster]
Their purpose was to fortify in some strong place of
the wild country, and there nestle till succors
came. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
The children were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
--Clement
Clarke Moore
(A Visit From
St. Nicholas,
(a poem
[1823]) also
called The
Night Before Christmas).
[PJC]
3. To move about in one's place, like a bird when shaping the
interior of her nest or a young bird getting close to the
parent; as, a child nestles.
[1913 Webster]
"Nestling" gcide "The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48"
Nestling \Nes"tling\ n.
1. A young bird which has not abandoned the nest. --Piers
Plowman.
[1913 Webster]
2. A nest; a receptacle. [Obs.] --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
"Nestling" gcide "The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48"
Nestling \Nes"tling\, a.
Newly hatched; being yet in the nest.
[1913 Webster]
"nestling" wn "WordNet (r) 2.0"
nestling
n 1: young bird not yet fledged [syn: baby bird]
2: a young person of either sex; "she writes books for
children"; "they're just kids"; "`tiddler' is a British
term for youngsters" [syn: child, kid, youngster, minor,
shaver, nipper, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke,
fry]
"nestling" moby-thes "Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0"
Moby Thesaurus words for "nestling":
amorous dalliance, apprentice, avifauna, baby, baby bird, beginner,
billing and cooing, bird, bird of Jove, bird of Juno,
bird of Minerva, bird of night, bird of passage, bird of prey,
birdie, birdlife, birdling, birdy, bundling, cage bird, calf,
callow, caressing, catechumen, catling, chick, chickling, chicky,
colt, cub, cuddling, cygnet, dalliance, deb, debutant, dewy,
diving bird, dogie, dove, duckling, eagle, eaglet, entrant,
ever-new, evergreen, fawn, firsthand, fish-eating bird, fledgling,
flightless bird, foal, fondling, fowl, fresh, freshman,
fruit-eating bird, fryer, fulmar, game bird, gosling, green,
greenhorn, greeny, hugging, immature, infant, insect-eating bird,
intact, kid, kissing, kit, kitten, lamb, lambkin, learner, litter,
lollygagging, lovemaking, maiden, maidenly, migrant,
migratory bird, necking, neophyte, neoteric, nest, new, newcomer,
novice, novitiate, nuzzling, original, oscine bird, owl,
passerine bird, peacock, peafowl, peahen, perching bird, petting,
pigeon, piglet, pigling, polliwog, pristine, probationer, pullet,
pup, puppy, ratite, raw, raw recruit, recruit, rookie, sea bird,
seed-eating bird, sempervirent, sexual intercourse, shoat,
shore bird, snuggling, songbird, spooning, squab, storm petrel,
stormy petrel, swan, tadpole, tenderfoot, trainee, tyro, unbeaten,
undeveloped, unfledged, unhandled, untouched, untried, untrodden,
unused, vernal, virgin, virginal, wading bird, warbler, water bird,
waterfowl, weaner, whelp, wildfowl, yeanling, young
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