nisus

[ nahy-suh s ]
/ ˈnaɪ səs /

noun, plural ni·sus.

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

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Words nearby nisus

niskin bottle, nissan, nissen hut, nissl substance, nistru, nisus, nit, nit-lamp, nit-pick, nit-picking, nit-picky
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for nisus

British Dictionary definitions for nisus

nisus
/ (ˈnaɪsəs) /

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