nerve
noun /nɜːv/
/nɜːrv/
Idioms 
enlarge image[countable] any of the long fibres that carry messages between the brain and parts of the body, enabling you to move, feel pain, etc.- the optic nerve
- He's off work with a trapped nerve in his neck.
- Every nerve in her body was tense.
- The illness kills nerve cells and causes chronic fatigue.
- Pain occurs when the nerve fibres are damaged.
- Signals are transmitted from the nerve endings to the brain.
- The disease can also cause nerve damage.
Extra ExamplesTopics Bodyb2, Biologyb2- Cutting the nerves to the stomach does not affect hunger.
- He damaged a nerve in his spine.
- I've trapped a nerve in my spine.
- Intense pain shot through every nerve in his body.
- The message travels along the nerve to the brain.
- The nerve runs from the eye to the brain.
- The nerves transmit pain.
- The vagus nerve controls heart rate and breathing.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- pinched
- trapped
- sensitive
- …
- damage
- pinch
- strain
- …
- go
- lead
- run
- …
- bundle
- cell
- ending
- …
- along a/the nerve
- nerve in
- nerve to
- …
- every nerve in somebody’s body
- hit a nerve
- strike a (raw) nerve
- …
- nerves[plural] feelings of worry or stress
- Even after years as a singer, he still suffers from nerves before a performance.
- I need something to calm my nerves.
- to settle/soothe/steady your nerves
- Everyone's nerves were on edge (= everyone felt tense).
- He lives on his nerves (= is always worried).
- By the end of the meal her nerves were completely frayed.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsb2- She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.
- Have some herbal tea to settle your nerves.
- At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered.
- Caring for him while he was so ill has been a great strain on her nerves.
- He uncharacteristically allowed nerves to get the better of him in yesterday's game.
- Her nerves were shot from all the things happening around her.
- Her nerves were stretched to breaking point.
- His nerves jangled every time the phone rang.
- I had an attack of nerves just before I went on stage.
- I'm not sure my nerves can stand another night like this.
- I've never suffered from first-night nerves.
- It gave me time to calm my jittery nerves before meeting her.
- He lay awake, his nerves throbbing.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exam
- first-night
- jittery
- …
- calm
- control
- ease
- …
- an attack of nerves
- a bag of nerves
- a bundle of nerves
- …
- [uncountable] nerves [plural]the courage to do something difficult or dangerous synonym guts
- It took a lot of nerve to take the company to court.
- I was going to have a go at parachuting but lost my nerve at the last minute.
- He held his nerve to win the final set 6–4.
- Investors largely kept their nerve and stayed with the company.
- It was an amazing journey which tested her nerves to the full.
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesc2- You must find the nerve to ask for more money.
- Steeling my nerve, I jumped the first bar.
- Singing in front of so many people was a real test of nerve.
- At the last minute she almost lost her nerve.
- He kept his nerve to win a thrilling game.
- I didn't have the nerve to ask.
- It took a lot of nerve to stand up and speak.
- Skydiving is all right for people who've got the nerves for it.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + nerve- have
- lack
- lose
- …
- break
- fail (somebody)
- a failure of nerve
- a loss of nerve
- a test of nerve
- …
- [singular, uncountable] (informal) a way of behaving that other people think is rude or not appropriate synonym cheek
- I don't know how you have the nerve to show your face after what you said!
- He's got a nerve asking us for money!
- ‘Then she demanded to see the manager!’ ‘What a nerve!’
- He had some nerve to insult Mina's cooking.
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘tendon, sinew’): from Latin nervus; related to Greek neuron ‘nerve’ (see neuron).
Idioms
be a bag/bundle of nerves
- (informal) to be very nervous
- By the time of the interview, I was a bundle of nerves.
get on somebody’s nerves
- (informal) to annoy somebody
- That music is starting to get on my nerves.
- It really gets on my nerves when people talk loudly on the phone in public.
- His endless whining really gets on my nerves.
have nerves of steel
- to be able to remain calm in a difficult or dangerous situation
- You need nerves of steel to be a good poker player.
hit/touch/strike a (raw/sensitive) nerve
- to mention a subject that makes somebody feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.
- You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife.
- My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve.
- The article struck a raw nerve as it revived unpleasant memories.
strain every nerve/sinew (to do something)
- to try as hard as you can to do something
- He strained every nerve to snatch victory from defeat.
strike a nerve (with somebody)
- to have a strong effect
- His work strikes a nerve with people who are attracted to nostalgia.
- It seems I struck a nerve with my last post about cell phones.
- Nissan may well strike a popular nerve here.
a war of nerves
- an attempt to defeat your opponents by putting pressure on them so that they lose courage or confidence
- The union has been fighting a war of nerves with the management over pay.