nisus Hear it!

nisus definition

ni·sus (nī′səs)

noun pl. nisus ni′·sus

effort; endeavor; impulse; specif.,
  1. a seasonal desire to mate
  2. the muscular contractions used to expel waste, eggs, or a fetus from the body

Etymology: L < nisus, pp. of niti, to strive: for IE base see connive

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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