ˈnə:vəs adj. 1 having
delicate or disordered nerves. 2
timid or
anxious. 3 a
excitable;
highly strung;
easily agitated. b resulting
from this temperament (nervous
tension; a nervous headache). 4 affecting or
acting on
the nerves. 5 (foll. by of +
verbal noun)
reluctant,
afraid (am nervous of
meeting them). ønervous
breakdown a
period of
mental illness, usu. resulting from
severe depression or
anxiety. nervous
system the body's
network of specialized cells
which transmit nerve impulses
between parts of the
body (cf.
central nervous system,
peripheral nervous system). nervous
wreck colloq. a
person suffering from mental
stress,
exhaustion, etc. øønervously adv. nervousness n. [ME f. L nervosus (as NERVE)]