different between huddle vs nestle

English

Etymology

From Middle English *hudelen, alteration (due to hudels, hidels (“hiding place”), see hiddle) of *huderen, hoderen (“to cover; press together; huddle”), a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide +? -le and/or hide +? -er. Compare Low German huderken (“to brood; coddle; nurse; lull children to sleep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?d?l/
• Rhymes: -?d?l

Noun

huddle (plural huddles)

1. A dense and disorderly crowd.
2. (American football) A brief meeting of all the players from one team that are on the field with the purpose of planning the following play.
3. (bridge) A hesitation during play to think about one's next move.

Translations

Verb

huddle (third-person singular simple present huddles, present participle huddling, simple past and past participle huddled)

1. (intransitive) To crowd together.
   • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 4

     During all these operations the apes who had entered sat huddled near the door watching their chief, while those outside strained and crowded to catch a glimpse of what transpired within.

2. (intransitive) To curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso; to crouch; to assume a position similar to that of an embryo in the womb.
3. To get together and discuss a topic.
   • 2012 November 2, Ken Belson, "[1]," New York Times (retrieved 2 November 2012):

     George Hirsch, chairman of the board of Road Runners, said officials huddled all day Friday, hoping to devise an alternate race. They considered replacing the marathon with a race that would comprise the final 10 miles of marathon, starting at the base of the Queensboro 59th Street Bridge on the Manhattan side. But that was not deemed plausible, Mr. Hirsch said.

4. (intransitive, American football) To form a huddle.
5. (transitive) To crowd (things) together; to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.

   • Our adversary, huddling several suppositions together, […] makes a medley and confusion.

6. (transitive) To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; usually with a following preposition or adverb (huddle on, huddle up, huddle together).
   • 1845, John Henry Newman, Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

     Huddle up a peace.

   • Let him forecast his work with timely care, / Which else is huddled when the skies are fair.

   • 1728, Jonathan Swift, The Journal of a Modern Lady

     Now, in all haste, they huddle on / Their hoods, their cloaks, and get them gone.
7. (bridge, intransitive) To hesitate during play while thinking about one's next move.

Translations

Adjective

huddle (comparative more huddle, superlative most huddle)

1. Muted, as if emitted by a huddled embryo
   • 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Library of America, 1985, p.51:

     Gowan snored, each respiration chocking to a huddle fall, as though he would never breathe again.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English nestelen, nestlen, from Old English nistlan, nestlian, nistlian (“to make or build a nest”), from Proto-West Germanic *nistil?n (“to build or occupy a nest; nestle”), equivalent to nest +? -le. Cognate with Middle Low German nëstelen (“to build a nest”), Dutch nestelen (“to nest, nestle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?s?l/
• Rhymes: -?s?l

Verb

nestle (third-person singular simple present nestles, present participle nestling, simple past and past participle nestled)

1. To settle oneself comfortably and snugly.
2. To press oneself against another affectionately.
3. (intransitive) To lie half-hidden or in shelter.
   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     Their purpose was to fortify in some strong place of the wild and desolate country, and there to nestle till greater succours came.

4. (archaic, ornithology, intransitive) To build or sit upon a nest.
5. (archaic, ornithology, transitive) Of a bird: to look after its young.
   • 1871, Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist (volume 31, page 123)

     This assimilates them more nearly to the natural conditions when the hen nestles her chicks on the earth, whilst the warmth is given chiefly over their backs.

6. (transitive) To move or place into a comfortable position
   • 1862, William S. Woodbridge, Captain Paul's Adventure

     She made no answer, but her fingers nervously nestled the leaves of a book.

Synonyms

• (to settle oneself comfortably): settle
• (to press oneself against another affectionately): cuddle, snuggle

Related terms

• nest

Translations

Anagrams

• lentes

German

Pronunciation

Verb

nestle

1. inflection of nesteln:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative