NERVE
What does "NERVE" mean?
A fiber or bundle of fibers carrying impulses between the brain or spinal cord and the body.
Meanings
- A cordlike bundle of fibers that transmits signals of sensation or movement through the body. The dentist's drill brushed a nerve and he flinched.
- Steadiness, courage, or boldness under pressure. She lost her nerve at the top of the diving board.
- Audacity or impudence. He had the nerve to ask for a raise after showing up late all month. informal
- To brace or steel oneself for something difficult. She nerved herself to walk back onto the stage.
Did you know?
- The sciatic nerve, the longest in the body, runs from the lower spine all the way down past the knee - and at its widest is about as thick as a pencil.
Word origin
From Latin 'nervus', 'sinew, tendon, cord', related to Greek 'neuron'; in English it shifted from 'sinew' to the modern sense of nerve fiber.
Remember it
NERVE shares its root with 'neuron'; both go back to a word for cord. A nerve is a living cable.
A little poem
One thread under skin-
the whole body's fear and fire
ride the same thin wire.
haiku
Wordplay
- He had a lot of nerve - mostly because the surgery left him with one extra.
What it teaches
The same word for what carries pain also means courage - feeling deeply and standing firm run on one wire.
Quick facts
What does NERVE mean?
A fiber or bundle of fibers carrying impulses between the brain or spinal cord and the body.
Is NERVE a valid word?
Yes — NERVE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is NERVE?
NERVE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does NERVE come from?
From Latin 'nervus', 'sinew, tendon, cord', related to Greek 'neuron'; in English it shifted from 'sinew' to the modern sense of nerve fiber.
What can NERVE teach us?
The same word for what carries pain also means courage - feeling deeply and standing firm run on one wire.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.