nidus

(dəs)

noun pl. nidi or niduses

  1. a nest, esp. one in which insects or spiders deposit their eggs
  2. a breeding place; specif.,
    1. a place where spores or seeds germinate
    2. a focus of infection

Origin: L, nest

Related Forms:

See nidus in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. ni·dus·es or ni·di (-dī)
  1. A nest, especially one for the eggs of insects, spiders, or small animals.
  2. A cavity where spores develop.
  3. Pathology A central point or focus of bacterial growth in a living organism.
  4. A point or place at which something originates, accumulates, or develops, as the center around which salts of calcium, uric acid, or bile acid form calculi.

Origin:

Origin: Latin nīdus; see sed- in Indo-European roots

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