nerve
♦ nerve /n'ɜːrv/ (nerves)
1 [N-COUNT]
Nerves are long thin fibres that transmit messages between your brain and other parts of your body.
...spinal nerves.
...in cases where the nerve fibres are severed.
2 [N-PLURAL] usu poss N
If you refer to someone's nerves, you mean their ability to cope with problems such as stress, worry, and danger.
Jill's nerves are stretched to breaking point...
I can be very patient, and then I can burst if my nerves are worn out.
3 [N-PLURAL]
You can refer to someone's feelings of anxiety or tension as nerves.
I just played badly. It wasn't nerves.
= nervousness
4 [N-UNCOUNT]
Nerve is the courage that you need in order to do something difficult or dangerous.
The brandy made him choke, but it restored his nerve...
He never got up enough nerve to meet me.
= courage
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone or something gets on your nerves, they annoy or irritate you. (INFORMAL)
Lately he's not done a bloody thing and it's getting on my nerves.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone has a nerve or has the nerve to do something, you are criticizing them for doing something which you feel they had no right to do. (INFORMAL)
They've got a nerve, complaining about our behaviour...
He had the nerve to ask me to prove who I was.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you hold your nerve or keep your nerve, you remain calm and determined in a difficult situation.
He held his nerve to beat Andre Agassi in a five-set thriller on Court One...
We need to keep our nerve now.
= keep your cool
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you lose your nerve, you suddenly panic and become too afraid to do something that you were about to do.
The bomber had lost his nerve and fled.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that you have touched a nerve or touched a raw nerve, you mean that you have accidentally upset someone by talking about something that they feel strongly about or are very sensitive about.
Alistair saw Henry shrink, as if the words had touched a nerve...
The mere mention of John had touched a very raw nerve indeed.nerve agent (nerve agents)
[N-MASS]
A nerve agent is a chemical weapon that affects people's nervous systems.nerve cen|tre (nerve centres)
in AM, use nerve center
[N-COUNT] usu with poss
The nerve centre of an organization is the place from where its activities are controlled and where its leaders meet.
My office is the nerve centre of the operation.nerve end|ing (nerve endings)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Your nerve endings are the millions of points on the surface of your body and inside it which send messages to your brain when you feel sensations such as heat, cold, and pain.nerve gas (nerve gases)
[N-MASS]
Nerve gas is a poisonous gas used in war as a weapon.
1 [N-COUNT]
Nerves are long thin fibres that transmit messages between your brain and other parts of your body.
...spinal nerves.
...in cases where the nerve fibres are severed.
2 [N-PLURAL] usu poss N
If you refer to someone's nerves, you mean their ability to cope with problems such as stress, worry, and danger.
Jill's nerves are stretched to breaking point...
I can be very patient, and then I can burst if my nerves are worn out.
3 [N-PLURAL]
You can refer to someone's feelings of anxiety or tension as nerves.
I just played badly. It wasn't nerves.
= nervousness
4 [N-UNCOUNT]
Nerve is the courage that you need in order to do something difficult or dangerous.
The brandy made him choke, but it restored his nerve...
He never got up enough nerve to meet me.
= courage
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone or something gets on your nerves, they annoy or irritate you. (INFORMAL)
Lately he's not done a bloody thing and it's getting on my nerves.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone has a nerve or has the nerve to do something, you are criticizing them for doing something which you feel they had no right to do. (INFORMAL)
They've got a nerve, complaining about our behaviour...
He had the nerve to ask me to prove who I was.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you hold your nerve or keep your nerve, you remain calm and determined in a difficult situation.
He held his nerve to beat Andre Agassi in a five-set thriller on Court One...
We need to keep our nerve now.
= keep your cool
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you lose your nerve, you suddenly panic and become too afraid to do something that you were about to do.
The bomber had lost his nerve and fled.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that you have touched a nerve or touched a raw nerve, you mean that you have accidentally upset someone by talking about something that they feel strongly about or are very sensitive about.
Alistair saw Henry shrink, as if the words had touched a nerve...
The mere mention of John had touched a very raw nerve indeed.nerve agent (nerve agents)
[N-MASS]
A nerve agent is a chemical weapon that affects people's nervous systems.nerve cen|tre (nerve centres)
in AM, use nerve center
[N-COUNT] usu with poss
The nerve centre of an organization is the place from where its activities are controlled and where its leaders meet.
My office is the nerve centre of the operation.nerve end|ing (nerve endings)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Your nerve endings are the millions of points on the surface of your body and inside it which send messages to your brain when you feel sensations such as heat, cold, and pain.nerve gas (nerve gases)
[N-MASS]
Nerve gas is a poisonous gas used in war as a weapon.