nest : Idioms & Phrases

Index

bird nest

  • noun nest where birds lay their eggs and hatch their young
    bird nest; birdnest.
WordNet

bird's nest

  • noun nest where birds lay their eggs and hatch their young
    bird nest; birdnest.
WordNet
Bird's" nest`, Bird's-nest noun (Also<
  • Bird's nest
  • Bird's-nest
)
Definitions
  1. The nest in which a bird lays eggs and hatches her young.
  2. (Cookery) The nest of a small swallow (Collocalia nidifica and several allied species), of China and the neighboring countries, which is mixed with soups. ✍ The nests are found in caverns and fissures of cliffs on rocky coasts, and are composed in part of algæ. They are of the size of a goose egg, and in substance resemble isinglass. See Illust. under Edible.
  3. (Bot.) An orchideous plant with matted roots, of the genus Neottia (N. nidus-avis.)
Webster 1913

bird's nest fern

  • noun tropical Old World or Australian epiphytic fern frequently forming tufts in tree crotches
    Asplenium nidus.
WordNet

bird's-nest fungus

  • noun any of various fungi of the family Nidulariaceae having a cup-shaped body containing several egg-shaped structure enclosing the spores
WordNet

Bird's-nest pudding

  • a pudding containing apples whose cores have been replaces by sugar.
Webster 1913

bird's-nesting

Bird's-nest`ing noun
Definitions
  1. Hunting for, or taking, birds' nests or their contents.
Webster 1913

bird-nest

  • verb gather birdnests
    birdnest.
    • They went birdnesting in the early morning
WordNet

climbing bird's nest fern

  • noun tropical Africa to Australasia and Polynesia
    Microsorium punctatum.
WordNet

crow's nest

  • noun platform for a lookout at or near the top of a mast
WordNet

crow's-nest

Crow's-nest` noun
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) A box or perch near the top of a mast, esp. in whalers, to shelter the man on the lookout.
Webster 1913

cuckoo's nest

  • noun pejorative terms for an insane asylum
    crazy house; Bedlam; snake pit; loony bin; booby hatch; madhouse; nuthouse; funny farm; sanatorium; nut house; funny house.
WordNet

Edible bird's nest

  • . See Bird's nest,
Webster 1913

feather one's nest

  • verb enrich oneself by taking advantage of one's position
    • The congressmen feathered his nest through his connection with big business
WordNet

hornet's nest

  • noun a highly contentious or hazardous situation
    hornet's nest.
    • talk of invading Iraq stirred up a political hornets' nest
  • noun habitation for wasps or hornets
    hornet's nest; hornets' nest; wasp's nest.
WordNet

hornets' nest

  • noun a highly contentious or hazardous situation
    hornet's nest.
    • talk of invading Iraq stirred up a political hornets' nest
  • noun habitation for wasps or hornets
    hornet's nest; hornets' nest; wasp's nest.
WordNet

Hurrah's nest

  • state of utmost confusion. Colloq. U.S.
Webster 1913

mare's nest

  • noun a confused multitude of things
    welter; muddle; smother; clutter; fuddle; jumble.
WordNet

mare's-nest

Mare's"-nest` noun
Definitions
  1. A supposed discovery which turns out to be a hoax; something grosaly absurd.
Webster 1913

mouse nest

  • noun where mice bear and raise their young
    mouse nest.
WordNet

mouse's nest

  • noun where mice bear and raise their young
    mouse nest.
WordNet

Nest egg

  • noun a fund of money put by as a reserve
    savings.
  • noun device consisting of an artificial egg left in a nest to induce hens to lay their eggs in it
WordNet
  • an egg left in the nest to prevent the hen from forsaking it, and to induce her to lay more in the same place; hence, figuratively, something laid up as the beginning of a fund or collection.
Webster 1913

nesting place

  • noun a place suitable for nesting
WordNet

sleeper nest

  • noun a nest of sleepers awaiting a prearranged signal
    • sleeper nests of Islamic terrorists were capable of launching major attacks in Europe
WordNet

To feather one's nest

  • to provide for one's self especially from property belonging to another, confided to one's care; an expression taken from the practice of birds which collect feathers for the lining of their nests.
Webster 1913

To stir up a hornet's nest

  • to provoke the attack of a swarm of spiteful enemies or spirited critics. Colloq.
Webster 1913

wasp's nest

  • noun habitation for wasps or hornets
    hornet's nest; hornets' nest; wasp's nest.
WordNet

wasps' nest

  • noun habitation for wasps or hornets
    hornet's nest; hornets' nest; wasp's nest.
WordNet

Yellow bird's nest

  • a plant, the Monotropa hypopitys.
Webster 1913