BIRDS'NEST, noun [bird and nest.] The nest in which a bird lays eggs and hatches her young. 1. A plant, a species of Ophrys or twyblade; also a species of Orchis. 2. In cookery, the nest of a small swallow, of China, and the neighboring countries, delicately tasted, and mixed with soups. This nest is found in the rocks; it is of a hemispherical figure, of the size of a goose egg, and in substance resembles isinglass. In the East, these nests are esteemed a great luxury, and sell at a very high price.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI