<B>nerve, </B>noun, verb, <B>nerved,</B> <B>nerving.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a fiber or bundle of fibers connecting the brain or spinal cord with the eyes, ears, muscles, glands, and other parts of the body. Nerves are elements of the peripheral nervous system that carry impulses, especially of sensation and motion. The nerve fibers are enclosed within sheaths and are joined to each other with connective tissue. <BR> <I>Ex. The control of muscles is achieved via the nerves which pass from the central nervous system ... to the various muscles of the body (Floyd and Silver).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) mental strength; courage. <BR> <I>Ex. to continue fighting on nerve alone, icy nerve, nerves of iron. It takes nerve to pilot an airplane. Prosperity had relaxed the nerves of discipline (Edward Gibbon).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) bodily strength; vigor; energy. <BR> <I>Ex. He led me on to mightiest deeds, Above the nerve of mortal arm (Milton).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Slang, Figurative.) rude boldness; impudence. <BR> <I>Ex. He claims he is a friend of mine? The nerve of the fellow!</I> <DD><B> 5a. </B>a vein of a leaf. <DD><B> b. </B>a rib of an insects' wing; nervure. <DD><B> 6. </B>the pulp of a tooth. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Archaic.) sinew; tendon. <BR> <I>Ex. Before his tender joints with nerves are knit (John Dryden).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to arouse strength or courage in. <BR> <I>Ex. The players nerved themselves for the championship game.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>get on one's nerves,</B> </I>to annoy or irritate one. <BR> <I>Ex. John Adams ... was honest, brave, and intelligent, but he just couldn't help getting on other people's nerves (Gerald W. Johnson).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>nerves,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>nervousness. </I> <I>Ex. He tried to soothe her nerves (Graham Greene).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>an attack of nervousness. <BR> <I>Ex. to suffer from nerves.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>strain every nerve,</B> </I>to exert oneself to the utmost. <BR> <I>Ex. Both horse and jockey were straining every nerve in the race.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="nerveagent">
<B>nerve agent,</B> <B>=nerve gas.</B></DL>
<A NAME="nervecell">
<B>nerve cell,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a cell that conducts impulses; neuron. <BR> <I>Ex. The other part is in a special membrane of nerve cell material wrapped around the brain capillaries (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the cell body of a neuron, excluding its fibers. </DL>
<A NAME="nervecenter">
<B>nerve center,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a group of nerve cells closely connected with one another and acting together in the performance of some particular function or sense. <BR> <I>Ex. The physiological mechanism consists of a sense organ or set of sense organs, sensory nerves leading to a nerve center (Science News).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>any place that is the center of activity or a source of direction. <BR> <I>Ex. The village high street remains the nerve center of the whole community (Manchester Guardian).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the person or persons who control such a place. </DL>
<B>-nerved,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) having ______ nerves. <BR> <I>Ex. Strong-nerved = having strong nerves.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="nervedeafness">
<B>nerve deafness,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> deafness due to disorder of the acoustic nerve. </DL>
<A NAME="nervefiber">
<B>nerve fiber,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of the long threadlike processes or fibers of a neuron; an axon or a dendrite. </DL>
<A NAME="nervegas">
<B>nerve gas,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various poison gases containing phosphorus that may be absorbed through the skin, as well as by breathing, and that attack the central nervous system to cause extreme weakness or death. Various types have been developed for use in warfare such as tabun and sarin. </DL>
<A NAME="nervegrowthfactor">
<B>nerve growth factor,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a protein that stimulates the growth of sympathetic and sensory nerve cells. <BR> <I>Ex. Nerve growth factor is a protein found in special abundance in mouse salivary glands and in certain snake venoms (Science).</I> <DL COMPACT><DD> (Abbr.:) NGF (no periods). </DL>
</DL>
<A NAME="nerveless">
<B>nerveless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>without strength or vigor; feeble; weak. <BR> <I>Ex. The cup dropped from his nerveless hand.</I> (SYN) flabby, flaccid. <DD><B> 2. </B>without courage or firmness. <DD><B> 3. </B>without nervousness; controlled; calm. <DD><B> 4. </B>without nerves. adv. <B>nervelessly.</B> noun <B>nervelessness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="nervenet">
<B>nerve net,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a network of nerve cells distributed throughout the tissues of coelenterates, echinoderms, and certain other lower forms, in which it makes up a primitive nervous system. <BR> <I>Ex. As might be expected from the dispersed arrangement of nerve cells, conduction in nerve nets is diffuse (R. K. Josephson).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="nerveracking">
<B>nerve-racking</B> or <B>nerve-wracking, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> extremely irritating; causing great annoyance; very trying. <BR> <I>Ex. a nerve-racking day at the office. He felt cool and alert, ... and, the nerve-racking hours of waiting past, he listened for the starter's gun (P. G. Wodehouse).</I> adv. <B>nerve-rackingly,</B> <B>nerve-wrackingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="nerves">
<B>nerves, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>nerve.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="nervetrunk">
<B>nerve trunk,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> several nerve fibers bound together by a tough sheet of tissue. </DL>
<A NAME="nervily">
<B>nervily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in a nervy manner. </DL>
<A NAME="nervine">
<B>nervine, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>acting on or relieving disorders of the nerves; strengthening or soothing the nerves. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with the nerves. <DD><I>noun </I> (Obsolete.) a nerve tonic. </DL>
<A NAME="nerviness">
<B>nerviness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> nervy quality or condition. </DL>
<A NAME="nerving">
<B>nerving, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Veterinary Medicine.) the surgical removal of part of a bundle of nerve fibers. </DL>
<A NAME="nervosity">
<B>nervosity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> nervous quality or condition; nervousness. </DL>
<A NAME="nervous">
<B>nervous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of the nerves. <BR> <I>Ex. a nervous disorder.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>easily excited or upset. <BR> <I>Ex. a nervous driver, a nervous dog. A person who has been overworking is likely to become nervous.</I> (SYN) high-strung, excitable, jumpy. <DD><B> 3. </B>having or proceeding from nerves that are out of order. <BR> <I>Ex. a nervous patient, a nervous tapping of the fingers.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>deriving from a tense or quickened condition of the nerves. <BR> <I>Ex. nervous energy.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>restless or uneasy; timid. <BR> <I>Ex. She is nervous about staying alone at night.</I> (SYN) apprehensive. <DD><B> 6. </B>having nerves. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Figurative.) strong; vigorous; powerful; spirited. <BR> <I>Ex. The artist painted with quick, nervous strokes. They were swept before the mettled horses and nervous arms of their antagonists like chaff before the wind (James Fenimore Cooper).</I> (SYN) energetic. adv. <B>nervously.</B> noun <B>nervousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="nervousbreakdown">
<B>nervous breakdown,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any disabling mental disorder requiring treatment. </DL>
<A NAME="nervousnellie">
<B>nervous Nellie</B> or <B>Nelly,</B> pl. <B>nervous Nellies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a nervous or easily excited person. </DL>
<A NAME="nervoussystem">
<B>nervous system,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the system of nerve fibers, nerve cells, and other nervous tissue in a person or animal by means of which impulses are received and interpreted. The human central nervous system and that of the other vertebrates consists of the brain and spinal cord, to and from which impulses are carried by the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of the cranial nerves (12 pairs in man), the spinal nerves (31 pairs in man), and the autonomic nervous system (the ganglia and nerves that regulate the involuntary muscles, viscera, and glands). <BR> <I>Ex. The nervous system keeps us in contact with the world outside our bodies by receiving messages from the sense organs, such as the eyes and ears (Herbert H. Jasper).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="nervure">
<B>nervure, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the principal vein of a leaf. <DD><B> 2. </B>a rib of an insect's wing. </DL>
<A NAME="nervy">
<B>nervy, </B>adjective, <B>nervier,</B> <B>nerviest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Informal.) rude and bold; impudent. <BR> <I>Ex. It is a little "nervy" ... to walk into another man's house uninvited (Elizabeth Robins).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) requiring courage or firmness. <BR> <I>Ex. a nervy undertaking.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) strong; vigorous. <DD><B> 4. </B>suffering from nervous tension; nervous. <BR> <I>Ex. Jaded, nervy, overworked men, who cannot sleep after taking ordinary coffee (Punch).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="nes">
<B>n.e.s.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> not elsewhere specified. </DL>
<A NAME="nescience">
<B>nescience, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>lack of knowledge; ignorance. <BR> <I>Ex. the ... involuntary nescience of men (Jeremy Taylor).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the philosophical doctrine, implicit in many forms of agnosticism, that knowledge cannot rest on other than the phenomena of nature, God and the supernatural being both unknowable and unprovable. </DL>
<A NAME="nescient">
<B>nescient, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> not knowing; ignorant. </DL>
<A NAME="nesh">
<B>nesh, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Dialect.) <DD><B> 1. </B>soft, tender, or succulent. <DD><B> 2. </B>delicate or weakly. <BR> <I>Ex. the nesh hazels bending in the blast (Robert Surtees).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>poor-spirited; effeminate. <DD><B> 4. </B>dainty or squeamish. </DL>
<A NAME="neskhi">
<B>Neskhi, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the flowing style of Arabic script or calligraphy, often used with arabesque designs, as distinguished from Kufic. </DL>
