Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NERVE, n. [nerv; L. nervus; Fr. nerf; W. nerth, strength; Gr. νευρον, nerve; probably allied to ανηρ, a man, L. vir; Pers. نَر nar, the male of any animal; Sans. nar, a man. In Welsh, nêr denotes one that possesses self-energy, and hence an epithet of God.]

1. An organ of sensation and motion in animals. The nerve are prolongations of the medullary substance of the brain, spinal cord, and semilunar ganglion, which ramify and extend to every part of the body. Encyc. Parr.
2. A sinew or tendon. Pope.
3. Strength; firmness of body; as, a man of nerve.
4. Fortitude; firmness of mind; courage.
5. Strength; force; authority; as, the nerves of discipline. Gibbon.