Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NEST, n.¹ [Sax. nest, G. and D. nest; Sw. näste; W. nyth; L. nidus; Fr. nid; It. and Sp. nido; Arm. neiz; Ir. nead; Russ. gnizdo; Gr. νεοσσος, νεοσσια, νεοττια, unless the latter are from νεος. In Persic, nisim is a nest, nashiman, mansion, and nishashtan, to sit down, to dwell or remain.]

1. The place or bed formed or used by a bird for incubation or the mansion of her young, until they are able to fly. The word is used also for the bed in which certain insects deposit their eggs.
2. Any place where irrational animals are produced. Bentley.
3. An abode; a place of residence; a receptacle of numbers, or the collection itself; usually in an ill sense; as, a nest of rogues.
4. A warm close place of abode; generally in contempt. Spenser.
5. A number of boxes, cases or the like, inserted in each other.