Phrase guide

nest egg

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A saving; a reserve of money.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • Over time, they accumulated a tidy nest egg and retired comfortably.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An egg squash.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

device consisting of an artificial egg left in a nest to induce hens to lay their eggs in it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

5

noun

Meaning 5

a fund of money put by as a reserve

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: savings

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fund, monetary fund

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բունկալ (bunkal) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Bulgarian: полог (polog) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Finnish: pesämuna — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Finnish: munitusmuna — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Galician: endego — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Galician: aniñadoiro — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Galician: éndez — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Galician: niñeiro — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • German: Nestei — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Greek: φώλι (fóli) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Greek: φώλος (fólos) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Greek: αποφώλι (apofóli) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Pontic Greek: φώλ’ (fól’) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Pontic Greek: πιφώλι (pifóli) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Italian: uovo per nido — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Italian: nidiandolo — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Italian: endice — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Laz: პიჶოლი (p̌ifoli) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Polish: zbuk — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Portuguese: endez — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Portuguese: indez — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Portuguese: andês — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Russian: по́дкладень (pódkladenʹ) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Russian: обма́нное яйцо́ (obmánnoje jajcó) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Swedish: boägg — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Turkish: fol — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Ottoman Turkish: فول (fol) — egg placed in a bird's nest
  • Bulgarian: спестявания (spestjavanija) — savings
  • Catalan: coixí — savings
  • Dutch: appeltje voor de dorst — savings
  • Finnish: pesämuna — savings
  • French: bas de laine — savings
  • Galician: peto — savings
  • Galician: petiño — savings
  • German: Notgroschen — savings
  • German: finanzielles Polster — savings
  • Hungarian: dugipénz — savings
  • Irish: cillín — savings
  • Italian: gruzzolo — savings
  • Italian: risparmio — savings
  • Māori: pūtea penapena — savings
  • Polish: zaskórniak — savings
  • Portuguese: economias — savings
  • Portuguese: pé-de-meia — savings
  • Russian: сбережения (sbereženija) — savings
  • Spanish: ahorros — savings
  • Spanish: peculio — savings
  • Spanish: colchón — savings
  • Spanish: hucha — savings
  • Welsh: wy addod — savings