nerve noun
1 in the body
ADJ. sensitive, trapped | facial, optic, spinal, etc.
VERB + NERVE damage, strain, trap I've trapped a nerve in my spine.
NERVE + VERB go, lead, run The nerve runs from the eye to the brain. | transmit sth The nerves transmit pain. | throb He lay awake, his nerves throbbing.
NERVE + NOUN cell, end, ending, fibre, tissue | pathway | impulse | damage, injury | gas
PREP. along a/the ~ The message travels along the nerve to the brain. | ~ in He's been off work with a trapped nerve in his back. | ~ to Cutting the nerves to the stomach does not affect hunger.
PHRASES every nerve in sb's body Intense pain shot through every nerve in his body. | hit a nerve, touch a (sensitive/raw) nerve (figurative) My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve.
2 nerves: mental state
ADJ. good, steady | bad, frayed, ragged, shattered, taut At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered.
VERB + NERVE stretch Her nerves were stretched to breaking point.
NERVE + VERB be on edge After the bomb, my nerves were on edge. | jangle His nerves jangled every time the phone rang. | stand I'm not sure my nerves can stand another night like this.
PREP. ~s for Skydiving is all right for people who've got the nerves for it.
PHRASES a battle/war of nerves The union has been fighting a war of nerves with the management over pay. | get on sb's nerves His endless whining really gets on my nerves. | nerves of steel You need nerves of steel to be a good poker player. | a strain on sb's nerves Looking after him while he was so ill has been a great strain on her nerves.
3 nerves: nervous state
ADJ. exam, first-night I've never suffered from first-night nerves.
VERB + NERVE calm, control, soothe, steady She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. | suffer from
PHRASES an attack of nerves I had an attack of nerves just before I went on stage. | a bag/bundle/mass of nerves By the time of the interview, I was a bundle of nerves.
4 courage
ADJ. sufficient
VERB + NERVE have I didn't have the nerve to ask. | lack | lose At the last minute she almost lost her nerve. | keep He kept his nerve to win a thrilling match. | find You must find the nerve to ask for more money. | take It took a lot of nerve to stand up and speak.
NERVE + VERB break, crack, fail (sb) At the last moment her nerve failed her.
PHRASES a failure/loss of nerve, a test of nerve Singing in front of so many people was a real test of nerve.
You can also check other dicts: nerve (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition