nerve
n. C / Un. the part of your body that carries messages between your brain and your muscles or skin. It can also mean the courage you need to do something difficult or scary.
n. a bundle of fibers that transmits impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs. Also used figuratively to denote courage, audacity, or the quality of being impudent.
The doctor checked the nerve in my damaged finger.
It took a lot of nerve for the junior employee to challenge the CEO during the meeting.
Damage to the optic nerve can lead to significant vision loss because the brain no longer receives the electrical signals required to process visual information.
Recorded since circa 1374 as Middle English nerve, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”). Doublet of neuron and sinew. Verb verb sense 4 is chiefly a semantic loan from German nerven.
Countable when referring to the biological structure; uncountable or plural ('nerves') when referring to courage or anxiety.
He has a lot of nerves to say thatHe has a lot of nerve to say thatWhen meaning 'courage' or 'audacity', the singular form 'nerve' is used; 'nerves' usually refers to feeling anxious or worried.