nesting
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
an arrangement where one object fits inside a larger one.
the hierarchical arrangement of objects or structures where one is contained within another.
Simple“The nesting of the plastic bowls saved a lot of space in the kitchen cupboard.”
In context“The clever nesting of the tables allowed the small apartment to accommodate guests without permanent clutter.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun to describe a design feature.
- 02 C1 Advanced
putting one piece of computer code inside another piece of code.
the practice of placing one self-contained element of code or data within another of the same type.
Simple“Too much nesting in your code can make it very difficult for other people to read.”
In context“Deep nesting of conditional statements often indicates that a function should be refactored for better maintainability.”
UsageCommonly refers to 'if' statements or loops placed inside one another.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the process of a bird or animal building a place to live and have babies.
the biological process or instinctual behaviour of constructing a nest.
Simple“We watched the birds begin their nesting in the old oak tree.”
In context“The conservation group works to protect the beach during the turtles' nesting season.”
Teacher's tipIn a psychological context, this can also refer to humans preparing their home for a new baby.
“In healthy colonies, Argentine ants spread themselves throughout the available nesting space.”
“The bald eagle and her mate gained fame during the pandemic, as a livestream tracked their nesting attempts.”