nerve

nerve
\ \ [16] Latin nervus meant ‘sinew, bowstring’. It and its Greek relative neuron (source of English neural) may belong to a wider family of words that includes Latin nērespin’ (a relative of English needle) and possibly also English narrow, perhaps with a common meaning element. The application to ‘bundle of fibres carrying sensory or other impulses’ seems to have begun in Greek, but was soon adopted into the Latin word, and was brought with it into English. Metaphorically, the Romans used nervus for ‘strength, force’, an application perhaps lying behind the English sense ‘courage’, first recorded in the early 19th century. The use of the plural nerves for ‘agitation, apprehension’ (and of the adjective nervous [14] for ‘apprehensive’) is an English development, which probably started in the mid- 18th century.
\ \ Cf.NEEDLE, NEURAL

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • nerve — erve (n[ e]rv), n. [OE. nerfe, F. nerf, L. nervus, akin to Gr. ney^ron sinew, nerve; cf. neyra string, bowstring; perh. akin to E. needle. Cf. {Neuralgia}.] 1. (Anat.) One of the whitish and elastic bundles of fibers, with the accompanying… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Nerve Up — Studio album by Lonelady Released 22 February 2010 …   Wikipedia

  • nerve — [nʉrv] n. [ME nerfe < OFr nerf < L nervus, sinew, nerve, string < IE base * (s)nēu , to twist, wind > Gr neuron, tendon, nerve, OE sneowan, to hurry] 1. a sinew or tendon: now only in the phr. strain every nerve, to try as hard as… …   English World dictionary

  • nervé — ● nervé, nervée adjectif Se dit d un élément d architecture qui comporte des nervures, un réseau de nervures. ● nervé, nervée (synonymes) adjectif Se dit d un élément d architecture qui comporte des nervures, un... Synonymes : nervuré ⇒NERVÉ, ÉE …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • nerve — ► NOUN 1) a fibre or bundle of fibres in the body that transmits impulses of sensation between the brain or spinal cord and other parts of the body. 2) (nerves or one s nerve) steadiness and courage in a demanding situation: the journey tested… …   English terms dictionary

  • Nerve — (n[ e]rv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Nerved} (n[ e]rvs); p. pr. & vb. n. {Nerving}.] To give strength or vigor to; to supply with force; as, fear nerved his arm. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nerve — n effrontery, *temerity, audacity, hardihood, cheek, gall Analogous words: boldness, intrepidity (see corresponding adjectives at BRAVE): *fortitude,grit, pluck, sand, guts: foolhardiness, recklessness (see corresponding adjectives at… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • nerve — [n] daring, boldness assumption, assurance, audacity, backbone, brass*, bravery, brazenness, cheek*, chutzpah*, confidence, coolness, courage, crust*, determination, effrontery, endurance, energy, face*, fearlessness, firmness, force, fortitude,… …   New thesaurus

  • nervé — Nervé, [nerv]ée. part. Un battoir bien nervé. la pointe de cette arçon n est pas bien nervée …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • nerve — index audacity, confidence (faith), prowess (bravery), reassure, temerity Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • nervé — nervé, ée (nèr vé, vée) part. passé de nerver. 1°   Panneaux nervés. 2°   Terme de botanique. Qui est muni de nervures, ou qui en a de très saillantes.    Terme de blason. Se dit des feuilles dont les nervures sont d un émail différent …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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