LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

nīdus

nīdus m (genitive nīdī)
Classical[ˈniː.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈniː.dus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. nest
  2. dwelling for animals

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

domus avis, ex rāmīs parvīs facta; in nīdō ōva sunt.
nīdus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Animālia

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativenīdusnīdī
genitivenīdīnīdōrum
dativenīdōnīdīs
accusativenīdumnīdōs
ablativenīdōnīdīs
vocativenīdenīdī

nīdus, i, m. kindred with Sanscr. nīda and the Germ. and Engl. nest,
I. a nest.
I. Lit.: fingere et construere nidos, Cic. de Or. 2, 6, 23: tignis nidum suspendit hirundo, Verg. G. 4, 307: facere, Ov. M. 8, 257: ponere, Hor. C. 4, 12, 5: struere, Tac. A. 6, 28; Plin. 10, 33, 49, § 92: confingere, id. 10, 33, 49, § 93.—Plur., of a single nest: propria cum jam facit arbore nidos, Juv. 14, 80.—Poet.: majores pennas nido extendere, i. e. to raise one's self above one's birth, Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 21.—
II. Transf.
A. The young birds in a nest (poet.): nidi loquaces, Verg. A. 12, 475; id. G. 4, 17: nidi queruli, Sen. Herc. Fur. 148.—
2. Transf.
(a). Of three children at a birth: loquax, Juv. 5, 143.—
(b). A litter of pigs in a sty, Col. 7, 9, 13.—
B. A receptacle, case, for books or goods, Mart. 1, 118, 15; 7, 17, 5.—
C. A dwelling, residence, house, home: tu nidum servas, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 6: celsae Acherontiae, id. C. 3, 4, 14 (cf. Cic. de Or. 1, 44, 196): senectae, Aus. Mos. 449: nequitiae nidum fecit, Pub. Syr. Sent. v. 10 Rib.—
D. A vessel in the shape of a nest, a bowl, goblet: nidus potilis, Varr. ap. Non. 145, 3 (Sat. Men. 77, 8).

Origins

From Proto-Italic *nizdos, from Proto-Indo-European *nisdós (“nest”). Cognate with Sanskrit नीड (nīḍá), Old Armenian նիստ (nist), Old Church Slavonic гнѣздо (gnězdo), Old English nest (whence English nest).

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanniu
  • Occitannis
  • Frenchnidfrom Old French nid
  • Frenchniaisfrom Old French nid
  • Englishnidefrom Old French nid
  • Franco-Provençalnid
  • Normannidfrom Old French nid
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiannido
  • Italiannidio
  • Corsicannidu
  • Dalmatiannaid
  • Istriotneîl
  • Neapolitannido
  • Neapolitannivo
  • Siciliannidu
  • Venetannit
  • Venetannìo
Insular Romance
  • Sardiniannidu
  • Campidaneseniufrom Sardinian nidu
Ibero-Romance
  • Spanishnidofrom Old Spanish nido
  • Aragoneseniedo
  • Asturiannieru
  • Asturianñeru
  • Asturianníu
  • Asturianñíu
  • Extremaduranñíu
  • Mirandeseniu
  • Old Galician-Portuguese*nio
  • Ladinonidofrom Old Spanish nido
Borrowings
  • Englishnidus
  • Interlinguanido
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliannît
  • Friuliannîd
  • Romanshgnieu
  • Romanshigniv
Gallo-Italic
  • Emiliannîd
  • Liguriannïo
  • Lombardnid
  • Lombardnin
  • Piedmonteseni
  • Romagnolnid

In English words that came into English from nīdus

  • niche*nīdicāre
  • nidifynīdificō
  • nidicolousnīdus
  • nidifugousnīdus
  • nidusnīdus
  • nidalnīdus
  • nidiformnīdifōrmis
  • nidationnīdus
  • nidenīdus
  • nidificatenīdificātus
  • nidologynīdus

Quick answers

What does nīdus mean in Latin?
nīdus, a noun, means “nest; dwelling for animals”.
What is the genitive of nīdus?
The genitive singular is nīdī. nīdus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce nīdus?
In classical Latin, [ˈniː.dʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈniː.dus].
Which English words come from nīdus?
English words that go back to Latin nīdus include nidicolous, nidifugous, nidus, nidal, nidation and nide.