nervous

[nur-vuhs] Origin

nerv·ous

[nur-vuhs]
adjective
1.
highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive: to become nervous under stress.
2.
of or pertaining to the nerves: nervous tension.
3.
affecting the nerves: nervous diseases.
4.
suffering from, characterized by, or originating in disordered nerves.
5.
characterized by or attended with acute uneasiness or apprehension: a nervous moment for us all.
EXPAND
6.
having or containing nerves.
7.
sinewy or strong.
8.
Archaic. vigorous or spirited.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin nervōsus sinewy, equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous

nerv·ous·ly, adverb
nerv·ous·ness, noun
non·ner·vous, adjective
non·ner·vous·ly, adverb
non·ner·vous·ness, noun
EXPAND
o·ver·nerv·ous, adjective
o·ver·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
o·ver·nerv·ous·ness, noun
sem·i·nerv·ous, adjective
sem·i·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
sem·i·nerv·ous·ness, noun
un·nerv·ous, adjective
un·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
un·nerv·ous·ness, noun
COLLAPSE


1. fearful, timid, timorous.


1. confident, bold.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Nervous is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Collins
World English Dictionary
nervous (ˈnɜːvəs)
 
adj
1.  very excitable or sensitive; highly strung
2.  (often foll by of) apprehensive or worried: I'm nervous of traffic
3.  of, relating to, or containing nerves; neural: nervous tissue
4.  affecting the nerves or nervous tissue: a nervous disease
5.  archaic active, vigorous, or forceful
 
'nervously
 
adv
 
'nervousness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nervous
c.1400, "affecting the sinews," from L. nervosus "sinewy, vigorous," from nervus "sinew, nerve" (see nerve). Sense of "of or belonging to the nerves" in the modern sense is from 1665. Meaning "suffering disorder of the nervous system" is from 1734; illogical sense "restless,
EXPAND
agitated, lacking nerve" is 1740. Widespread popular use as a euphemism for mental forced the medical community to coin neurological to replace it in the older sense. Nervous wreck first attested 1899.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

nervous nerv·ous (nûr'vəs)
adj.

  1. Of or relating to the nerves or nervous system.

  2. Stemming from or affecting the nerves or nervous system, as a disease.

  3. Easily agitated or distressed.


nerv'ous·ness n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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