Meaning
A sum of money saved and set aside, especially for retirement, an emergency, or some future purpose. The term often implies a growing reserve that is being protected rather than spent. Neutral, slightly homely register common in personal-finance and everyday talk. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The expression comes from the old poultry-keeping practice of leaving a real or artificial egg in a hen's nest to induce the bird to keep laying there; the saved 'egg' encourages future production, just as retained savings can grow through interest. Dictionary.com dates the compound to 1600-1610, showing the literal term is early 17th century, while Wiktionary's citation record documents the figurative financial sense by the early 20th century (for example Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage, 1915). It remains possible that figurative use predates that citation record, but the earliest verified examples of the money sense are from that era.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- a little nest egg
- egg nest (rare)
Usage Examples
- They built up a modest nest egg so that an unexpected car repair would not become a crisis.
- Her nest egg took a hit when the market dipped, but she left it invested for the long run.
- Renting out the spare room let him add a little to his retirement nest egg every month.