nest egg

What it means

A nest egg is a sum of money carefully saved over time, typically for retirement, a house, or a long-term goal. The phrase implies patience and protection — a steady cushion you don't touch lightly — and is commonly used in personal finance and family conversations about long-term plans.

Examples

• They built up a nice nest egg before retiring to the countryside.
• Don't dip into your nest egg for a new phone.
• A small monthly transfer slowly becomes a serious nest egg.
• Her nest egg took a hit during the recession.

Where it comes from

From the old poultry-farming practice of leaving a real or artificial egg in a hen's nest to encourage her to keep laying there. The figurative use for 'savings put aside to encourage more savings' is recorded in English from the late 1600s.

Related idioms