nerve
A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
Noun 4 meanings
A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
“The nerves can be seen through the skin.”
A vein in a leaf; a grain in wood.
“Some plants have ornamental value because of their contrasting nerves.”
Courage; boldness; audacity; gall.
“He had the nerve to enter my house uninvited.”
Patience; stamina; endurance, fortitude.
“The web-team found git-sed is really a time and nerve saver when doing mass changes on your repositories”
Verb 3 meanings
To give courage.
“May their example nerve us to face the enemy.”
To give strength; to supply energy or vigour.
“The liquor nerved up several of the men after their icy march.”
To perform a neurectomy on (someone or something).
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.
Similar and opposite words
NERVE at a glance
NERVE has 5 letters and scores 8 points in Scrabble (N 1 + E 1 + R 1 + V 4 + E 1) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,145 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with nerve
All rhymesOne letter away
- SERVE8
- VERVE11
- NERVY11
- PERVE10
- NEIVE8
- KERVE12
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