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

Comments


Do you have more to add? Sign in to share your linguistic knowledge or observation.

Connect with Facebook