nest egg

noun

1
: a natural or artificial egg left in a nest especially to induce a hen to continue to lay there
2
: a fund of money accumulated as a reserve

Examples of nest egg in a Sentence

They built up a nest egg for their son's college education. paid for the computer out of his nest egg
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In my opinion, getting $78,000 on a million-dollar nest egg is worth it, since the low-fee alternative offers $14,000 in dividends on that same million bucks. Michael Foster, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 Having a nest egg to fall back on can supplement growth throughout a child’s development — influencing health, educational, and career outcomes long before the funds are even accessed. Darrick Hamilton, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025 Ensure that your bank’s settings are set to automatically withdraw small amounts to add your nest egg. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025 Meier intended to use her credit to build up a nest egg after years of grad school. Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nest egg

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nest egg was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nest egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nest%20egg. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

nest egg

noun
: a fund of money set aside as a reserve
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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