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# nestling

noun (a nestling, nestlings); verb form (present participle of nestle: nestle, nestles, nestled, nestling)

«nestling» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (noun) A baby bird too young to leave the nest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#m1)
2. (verb) Settling snugly and comfortably, as in "nestling under a blanket". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#m2)
3. (verb) Lying in a sheltered place, as in "a village nestling in the valley". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science about birds: hatchling → nestling → fledgling, as the chick grows and learns to fly. In stories and descriptions, "nestling" paints a cosy or sheltered picture: a cottage nestling among the hills.

### Examples

- The nestlings opened their beaks wide for food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x1)
- A nestling has few feathers and cannot fly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x2)
- The village lay nestling in the green valley. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x3)
- The puppy was nestling against its mother. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x4)
- We watched the robin feed its nestlings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x5)
- The cottage stood nestling under tall trees. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x6)
- If you find a nestling on the ground, ask an adult or a wildlife centre for help. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x7)
- When the man awoke in the morning he was much surprised to find the boy nestling up close to him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/#x8)

### Note

Two words with the same spelling: the noun (baby bird) and the -ing form of "nestle" (silent t: "NES-ling"). Bird stages: egg, hatchling, nestling, fledgling. Safety: do not pick up wild baby birds without advice.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «nestling» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nestling/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«nestling» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/nestling.html) on Mova free.