nisus

[nahy-suh s]

noun, plural ni·sus.

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

Nearby words

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

Even before them the nisus towards it, which has been noticed in the chapter before the last, is observable enough.
The English Novel|George Saintsbury
And I did not know that you were 'Nisus Sum' until ten minutes ago.
The Little Gold Miners of the Sierras and Other Stories|Various
Nisus and Euryalus scheme, and petition, to sally forth to find Æneas and a rescue.
The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil
Nisus gets away first, and shoots out far in front of the throng, fleeter than the winds or the winged thunderbolt.
The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil

Nisus had a purple hair on which depended the safety of himself and his kingdom.
The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)|Alexander Pope

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