nidus

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin nīdus (“nest”). Doublet of nye and nest.

Pronunciation

Rhymes: -aɪdəs

Noun

nidus (plural nidi or niduses)

An aggregate of neurons.
A nest for insects or small animals.
A place of infection in an organism.
An origin (originating point) for a phenomenon.

Related terms

nido-
nidal, pilonidal
nidation, annidation
nidificate, nidify, nidulate

and see: nidifugous

Anagrams

Dinus, Indus, Indus., indus.

Latin

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈniː.dus/, [ˈniːd̪ʊs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈni.dus/, [ˈniːd̪us]

Noun

nīdus m (genitive nīdī); second declension

nest
dwelling for animals

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nīdus	nīdī
Genitive	nīdī	nīdōrum
Dative	nīdō	nīdīs
Accusative	nīdum	nīdōs
Ablative	nīdō	nīdīs
Vocative	nīde	nīdī

Derived terms

nīdificō
nīdifōrmis (New Latin, specific epithet)

Descendants

Aragonese: niedo
Asturian: ñeru, nieru, níu, ñíu
Catalan: niu
Corsican: nidu
Dalmatian: naid
Dutch: nis, niche
English: nidus, nide, niche, nyas
Extremaduran: ñíu
French: nid, niche, niais
Friulian: nît, nîd
Haitian Creole: nich
Interlingua: nido
Italian: nido, nidio
Lombard: nid, nin
Neapolitan: nìdo, nìvo
Occitan: nis
Papiamentu: neshi, neishi
Piedmontese: ni
Old Portuguese: *nio
- Galician: niño
- Portuguese: ninho
  - Kabuverdianu: ninhu
Romansch: gnieu, igniv
Sardinian: nidu, niu
- Campidanese: niu
Sicilian: nidu
Spanish: nido
Venetian: nit, nìo

References

“nidus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“nidus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
nidus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette