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Nervous

//ˈnɜːvəs// adj

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of sinews and tendons.; Full of sinews. obsolete
  2. 2
    Of sinews and tendons.; Having strong or prominent sinews; sinewy, muscular. obsolete

    "[T]here is nothing in marble equal to the Venus of Medici, for ſoftneſs and tenderneſs; as there is nothing ſo ſtrong and nervous, as the Hercules Farneſe."

  3. 3
    Of sinews and tendons.; Of a piece of writing, literary style etc.: forceful, powerful. obsolete

    "Fortescutus illustratus, or a commentary on that nervous treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ […] [book title]"

  4. 4
    Of nerves.; Supplied with nerves; innervated.
  5. 5
    Of nerves.; Affecting or involving the nerves or nervous system.

    "All Nervous Diſtempers whatſoever, from Yawning and Stretching, up to a mortal Fit of an Apoplexy, ſeems to me to be but one continued Diſorder, or the ſeveral Steps or Degrees of it, ariſing from a Relaxation or Weakneſs, and the want of a ſufficient Force and Elaſticity in the Solids in general, and the Nerves in particular, in Proportion to the Reſiſtance of the Fluids, in order to carry on the Circulation, remove Obſtructions, carry off the Recrements, and make the Secretions."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Of nerves.; Nervose. obsolete

    "CANNACORUS, […] It hath a knobbed tuberoſe Root: The Leaves are long and nervous: […]"

  2. 7
    Of nerves.; Easily agitated or alarmed; edgy, on edge.

    "Being in a crowd of strangers makes me nervous."

  3. 8
    Of nerves.; Apprehensive, anxious, hesitant, worried.

    "They were looking at the table (which was spread out in great array); for these young housekeepers are always nervous on such points, and like to see that everything is right."

Adjective
  1. 1
    unpredictably excitable (especially of horses) wordnet
  2. 2
    excited in anticipation wordnet
  3. 3
    easily agitated wordnet
  4. 4
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety wordnet
  5. 5
    of or relating to the nervous system wordnet

Etymology

From Middle English nervous (“composed of or incorporating nerves”), from Latin nervōsus (“nervous; sinewy; energetic, vigorous”), from nervus (“nerve; muscle; sinew, tendon; (figuratively) energy, power; nerve; force, strength, vigour”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snéh₁wr̥ (“sinew, tendon”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns). The English word is analysable as nerve + -ous.

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