English Explanatory Dictionary

nerve

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
  2. A neuron.
  3. A vein in a leaf; a grain in wood.
  4. Courage; boldness; audacity; gall.
  5. Patience; stamina; endurance, fortitude.
  6. One's neural structures considered collectively as, and conceptually equated with, one's psyche.
  7. Mental agitation caused by fear, stress or other negative emotions.
  8. The elastic resistance of raw rubber or other polymers to permanent deformation during processing.
  9. Sinew, tendon.
  10. A particular simplicial set constructed from a category.
verb
  1. To give courage.
  2. To give strength; to supply energy or vigour.
  3. To perform a neurectomy on (someone or something).
  4. To get on (someone’s) nerves; to annoy, irritate, or bother (someone).
  5. To be nervous.

Pronunciation

/nɝv/ /nɜːv/ /nɜɪv/ /nɛɾv/ en-us-nerve.ogg

Word forms

nerve nerves nerving nerved

Etymology

Recorded since circa 1374 as Middle English nerve, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”). Doublet of neuron and sinew. Verb sense 4 (“to get on (someone’s) nerves”) is chiefly a semantic loan from German nerven.

Synonyms

nerve brashness brazenness balls audacity bield boldhead boldness bravehood braveness bravery courage courageousness daring fearlessness grit guts heart intrepidity intrepidness mood ovaries pecker pluck spunk steel undauntedness valour nerve up anneal brace build up confirm enstrengthen fortify harden intend indurate invigorate munite reinforce roborate strength strengthen thicken

Related words

enervate nervous nervure neuron

Derived words

abducens nerve abducent nerve abnerval accessory nerve acoustic nerve alveolar nerve auditory nerve auriculotemporal nerve binervate buccal nerve bundle of nerves cavernous nerve cervical nerve ciliary nerve cochlear nerve cranial nerve deep petrosal nerve deep temporal nerve denervate denervated eighth cranial nerve eighth nerve eleventh cranial nerve facial nerve fifth cranial nerve fifth nerve first cranial nerve fourth cranial nerve freshman's nerve frontal nerve get on somebody's nerves get on one's nerves get on someone's last nerve glossopalatine nerve glossopharyngeal nerve greater occipital nerve greater petrosal nerve hit a nerve hit a raw nerve hold one's nerve hypogastric nerve hypoglossal nerve inferior alveolar nerve inferior laryngeal nerve infraorbital nerve innervate innerve intermediate nerve ischiatic nerve Jacobson nerve keep one's nerve lacrimal nerve laryngeal nerve lateral pectoral nerve lateral pterygoid nerve lesser occipital nerve lesser petrosal nerve lingual nerve long ciliary nerve lose one's nerve
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