nerve
See also: nervé
English
Etymology
Recorded since circa 1374, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /nɝv/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /nɜːv/
- (NYC) IPA(key): /nɜɪv/
- (Scotland) IPA(key): /nɛɾv/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v
Noun
nerve (plural nerves)
- A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
- The nerves can be seen through the skin.
- (nonstandard, colloquial) A neuron.
- (botany) A vein in a leaf; a grain in wood
- Some plants have ornamental value because of their contrasting nerves.
- Courage, boldness.
- He hasn't the nerve to tell her he likes her. What a wimp!
- Patience. (Can we add an example for this sense?) (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- Stamina, endurance, fortitude.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- He led me on to mightiest deeds, / Above the nerve of mortal arm.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- Audacity, gall.
- He had the nerve to enter my house uninvited.
- 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVIII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
- “Oh?” she said. “So you have decided to revise my guest list for me? You have the nerve, the – the –” I saw she needed helping out. “Audacity,” I said, throwing her the line. “The audacity to dictate to me who I shall have in my house.” It should have been “whom”, but I let it go. “You have the –” “Crust.” “– the immortal rind,” she amended, and I had to admit it was stronger, “to tell me whom” – she got it right that time – “I may entertain at Brinkley Court and who” – wrong again – “I may not.”
- (polymer technology) The elastic resistance of raw rubber or other polymers to permanent deformation during processing.
- A nervy tank lining will be difficult to lay around tight bends or in corners because it tends to spring back.[1]
- 1959, Newell A Perry, Eric O Ridgway, US patent US2870103 A
- The nerviness (ability to recover quickly from strain or stretching) ... generally requires it to be broken down or masticated on the mill before the other compounding ingredients are added. In the break-down operation, heat is inherently generated by the sheer action of the milling or mixing equipment on the polymer. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the desired low temperatures during the milling or mixing... An object of this invention is to reduce the inherent nerve of ... polymers ... during break-down.
- (in the plural) Agitation caused by fear, stress or other negative emotion.
- Ellie had a bad case of nerves before the big test.
- (obsolete) Sinew, tendon.
- 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 1 scene 2
- Come on; obey: / Thy nerves are in their infancy again, / And have no vigour in them.
- 1725, Alexander Pope. Pope's Homer: Odyssey Book X
- Whilst thus their fury rages at the bay,
My sword our cables cut, I call'd to weigh,
And charg'd my men, as they from fate would fly,
Each nerve to strain, each bending oar to ply.
- Whilst thus their fury rages at the bay,
- 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 1 scene 2
Synonyms
- (audacity, gall): brashness, brazenness, balls
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:nerve
Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun "nerve"
Translations
bundle of neurons
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(colloquial) neuron
(botany) vein; grain in wood
courage
patience
stamina
audacity
agitation caused by a negative emotion
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Verb
nerve (third-person singular simple present nerves, present participle nerving, simple past and past participle nerved)
Usage notes
- Sometimes used with “up”.
Synonyms
- (give strength): See also Thesaurus:strengthen
Dutch
French
German
Latin
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron), and Latin nervus
Derived terms
References
- “nerve” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
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