nerve

Recorded since circa 1374, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /nɝv/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /nɜːv/
• (NYC) IPA^(key): /nɜɪv/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /nɛɾv/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v

nerve (plural nerves)

1. A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.

   The nerves can be seen through the skin.

2. (nonstandard, colloquial) A neuron.
3. (botany) A vein in a leaf; a grain in wood

   Some plants have ornamental value because of their contrasting nerves.

4. Courage, boldness.

   He hasn't the nerve to tell her he likes her. What a wimp!

   • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Jack Wilshere scores twice to ease Arsenal to victory over Marseille (in The Guardian, 26 November 2013)

     A trip to the whistling, fire-cracking Stadio San Paolo is always a test of nerve but Wenger's men have already outplayed the Italians once.

5. Patience. (Can we add an example for this sense?) (Can we add an example for this sense?)
6. Stamina, endurance, fortitude.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     He led me on to mightiest deeds, / Above the nerve of mortal arm.

7. 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.”

8. (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.

9. (in the plural) Agitation caused by fear, stress or other negative emotion.

   Ellie had a bad case of nerves before the big test.

10. (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.

• (audacity, gall): brashness, brazenness, balls

• See also Thesaurus:nerve

nerve (third-person singular simple present nerves, present participle nerving, simple past and past participle nerved)

1. (transitive) To give courage.

   May their example nerve us to face the enemy.

2. (transitive) To give strength.

   The liquor nerved up several of the men after their icy march.

• Sometimes used with “up”.

• (give strength): See also Thesaurus:strengthen

• Verne, erven, never

nerve f (plural nerven, diminutive nerfje n)

1. Obsolete form of nerf.

• erven, reven, veren

nerve

1. first-person singular present indicative of nerver
2. third-person singular present indicative of nerver
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of nerver
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of nerver
5. second-person singular imperative of nerver

nerve

1. First-person singular present of nerven.
2. First-person singular subjunctive I of nerven.
3. Third-person singular subjunctive I of nerven.
4. Imperative singular of nerven.

nerve

1. vocative singular of nervus

From Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron), and Latin nervus

nerve m (definite singular nerven, indefinite plural nerver, definite plural nervene)

1. nerve

• nervecelle
• nervesystem

“nerve” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron), and Latin nervus

nerve m (definite singular nerven, indefinite plural nervar, definite plural nervane)

1. nerve

• nervecelle
• nervesystem

• “nerve” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.