nisus

[nahy-suh s]

noun, plural ni·sus.

an effort or striving toward a particular goal or attainment; impulse.

Origin of nisus

1690–1700; < Latin nīsus act of planting the feet, effort, equivalent to nīt(ī) to support or exert oneself + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nisus

Historical Examples of nisus

Nisus cries: 'Lend the gods this fervour to the soul, Euryalus?
The Aeneid of Virgil
Virgil
And Nisus said that he had somewhat to say, and that the matter pressed.
Stories from Virgil
Alfred J. Church
The daughter of Nisus 1271 past by, the cautious mariner rejoices.
Remedia A Moris or, The Remedy Of Love
Ovid
But mythology comes in and attributes them all to a nisus for self-preservation.
Human Nature and Conduct
John Dewey
Youth sent with Nisus to warn Æneas that his son was in danger, 374.
Myths of Greece and Rome
H. A. Guerber

British Dictionary definitions for nisus

nisus

noun plural -sus

an impulse towards or striving after a goal

Word Origin for nisus

C17: from Latin: effort, from nītī to strive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012