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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
nerve \nerve\ (n[~e]rv), noun [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 tissues, which transmit nervous impulses between nerve centers and various parts of the animal body.
Note: An ordinary nerve is made up of several bundles of nerve fibers, each bundle inclosed in a special sheath (the perineurium) and all bound together in a connective tissue sheath and framework (the epineurium) containing blood vessels and lymphatics.
2. A sinew or a tendon. --Pope.
3. Physical force or steadiness; muscular power and control; constitutional vigor.
he led me on to mightiest deeds, Above the nerve of mortal arm. --Milton.
4. Steadiness and firmness of mind; self-command in personal danger, or under suffering; unshaken courage and endurance; coolness; pluck; resolution.
5. Audacity; assurance. [Slang]
6. (Bot.) One of the principal fibrovascular bundles or ribs of a leaf, especially when these extend straight from the base or the midrib of the leaf.
7. (Zo["o]l.) One of the nervures, or veins, in the wings of insects.
{Nerve cell} (Anat.), a neuron, one of the nucleated cells with which nerve fibers are connected; a {ganglion cell} is one type of nerve cell.
{Nerve fiber} (Anat.), one of the fibers of which nerves are made up. These fibers are either {medullated} or {nonmedullated}. In both kinds the essential part is the translucent threadlike axis cylinder which is continuous the whole length of the fiber.
{Nerve stretching} (Med.), the operation of stretching a nerve in order to remedy diseases such as tetanus, which are supposed to be influenced by the condition of the nerve or its connections.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Nerve \Nerve\ (n[~e]rv), verb (used with an object) [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.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
nerve
noun
1: any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body [syn: {nervus}]
2: the courage to carry on; "he kept fighting on pure spunk"; "you haven't got the heart for baseball" [syn: {heart}, {mettle}, {spunk}]
3: impudent aggressiveness; "I couldn't believe her boldness"; "he had the effrontery to question my honesty" [syn: {boldness}, {brass}, {face}, {cheek}]
verb: get ready for something difficult or unpleasant [syn: {steel}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
174 Moby Thesaurus words for "nerve": afferent neuron, animate, annoy, anxiety, aplomb, apprehension, assurance, assure, audacity, autonomic nervous system, axon, backbone, balance, balanced personality, balls, beef up, boldness, bolster, bottle, bottom, brace, brace up, brain, brashness, brass, bravery, brazenness, buck up, buttress, case harden, central nervous system, cerebral cortex, cheek, cheer, chirk up, chutzpah, confidence, confirm, constancy, cool, coolness, courage, craniosacral nervous system, crust, daring, dauntlessness, dendrite, determination, doughtiness, effector organ, efferent neuron, effrontery, embolden, encourage, equilibrium, face, fastness, fearlessness, firmness, fortify, fortitude, forwardness, fretfulness, fright, gall, ganglion, gird, gray matter, grit, gumption, guts, gutsiness, guttiness, harden, hardihood, hardiness, heart, heart of oak, hearten, homeostasis, hysteria, impertinence, imperturbability, importunacy, importunateness, impudence, insolence, inspire, inspirit, internuncial neuron, intestinal fortitude, intrepidity, invariability, invigorate, irritate, medullary sheath, mettle, moxie, nerve trunk, nerves, nervous system, nervousness, neuron, peripheral nervous system, pith, plexus, pluck, presumption, presumptuousness, prop, pushiness, reassure, refresh, reinforce, reinvigorate, reliability, resoluteness, restrengthen, rootedness, sand, sang-froid, sauce, secureness, security, self-assertion, self-assertiveness, self-expression, self-expressiveness, sensorium, sensory area, sensory cell, shore up, solar plexus, solidity, soundness, spinal cord, spirit, spunk, stability, stable equilibrium, stable state, stamina, staunchness, steadfastness, steadiness, steady nerves, steady state, steel, stiffen, stout heart, strengthen, stress, substantiality, support, sustain, synapse, temerity, temper, tenacity, tension, the heebie-jeebies, thoracolumbar nervous system, toughen, toughness, undeflectability, undergird, uniformity, unshakable nerves, unshakableness, upset, valor, white matter, will, worry
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