Alternative writings:
JLPT:N3
Frequency:

1A nest or hive where birds or insects lay eggs and raise their young (e.g., bird's nest, beehive).

Noun

Examples

庭の木に小さな鳥の巣があった。

There was a small bird's nest in the tree in the garden.

蜂の巣が家の軒下にできてしまった。

A beehive has formed under the eaves of the house.

親鳥が巣で子どもを温めている。

The parent bird is warming its chicks in the nest.

2A den or lair where an animal lives or hides.

Noun

Examples

キツネは土手の下に巣を作っている。

A fox has made its den under the embankment.

寒い季節は、動物たちが巣にこもることが多い。

In cold seasons, animals often stay inside their dens.

3A haunt or place where a certain kind of people (often undesirable) gather; used in phrases like 'a den of ...'.

Noun

Examples

その店はスリの巣になっていると聞いた。

I've heard that the shop has become a den for pickpockets.

町の一角が不良たちの巣と化していた。

One corner of the town had become a haunt for delinquents.

4A spider's web (the tangled silk threads spun by spiders).

Noun

Examples

古い倉庫の隅に大きな蜘蛛の巣が張っていた。

A large spider's web was spread in the corner of the old warehouse.

窓に積もった埃に小さな巣ができていた。

A small web had formed in the dust on the window.