Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
NEST
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German nest nest, Latin nidus Date: before 12th century
1. a bed or receptacle prepared by an animal and especially a bird for its eggs and young, a place or specially modified structure serving as an abode of animals and especially of their immature stages , a receptacle resembling a bird's nest,
2. a place of rest, retreat, or lodging ; home , den , hangout , the occupants or frequenters of a nest,
4. a group of similar things , hotbed 2 , a group of objects made to fit close together or one within another, an emplaced group of weapons,
II. verb
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb to build or occupy a nest ; settle in or as if in a nest, to fit compactly together or within one another ; embed , transitive verb to form a nest for, to pack compactly together, to form a hierarchy, series, or sequence of with each member, element, or set contained in or containing the next