nerve

 
Pronunciation: /nəːv/

noun

  • 1a whitish fibre or bundle of fibres in the body that transmits impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs: the optic nerve
  • 2 (one's nerve or one's nerves) one’s steadiness and courage in a demanding situation: an amazing journey which tested her nerves to the full he kept his nerve and won five games in a row
  • 3 (nerves) feelings of nervousness: his first-night nerves soon disappeared
  • 4 [mass noun] informal impudence or audacity: he had the nerve to insult my cooking [in singular]: she’s got a nerve wearing that short skirt with those legs
  • 5 Botany a prominent unbranched rib in a leaf, especially in the midrib of the leaf of a moss.

verb

(nerve oneself)
  • brace oneself mentally to face a demanding situation: she nerved herself to enter the room

Phrases

a bag (or bundle) of nerves

informal someone who is extremely anxious or tense: when her relationship started getting serious, she became a bag of nerves

get on someone's nerves

informal irritate someone.

have nerves of steel

not be easily upset or frightened.

live on one's nerves (or one's nerve ends)

be extremely anxious or tense: a frenetic match which had 24,500 fans living on their nerve ends

strain every nerve

make every possible effort.
[from the earlier sense of nerve as 'tendon, sinew']

touch (or hit) a nerve (or a raw nerve)

provoke a reaction by referring to a sensitive topic.

war of nerves

a struggle in which opponents try to wear each other down by psychological means.

Derivatives

nerved

adjective
[usually in combination]: he was steely-nerved after the accident

Origin:

late Middle English (also in the sense 'tendon, sinew'): from Latin nervus; related to Greek neuron 'nerve' (see neuron)