Learn Arabic › B1 › عَصَب
عَصَب
nerve /ˈʕa.sˤab/
nounB1#2094 most common
Also: sinew, tendon, backbone (figurative)
Example sentences
هٰذا عَصَبٌ في اليَد.
This is a nerve in the hand.
فَحَصَ الطَّبيبُ عَصَبَ السِّنِّ.
The doctor examined the tooth's nerve.
يَربِطُ العَصَبُ العَضَلاتِ بِالدِّماغ.
The nerve connects the muscles to the brain.
فَقَدَ أَعصابَهُ عِندَما سَمِعَ الخَبَر.
He lost his temper when he heard the news.
أُصيبَ العَصَبُ البَصَريُّ بِالتِهابٍ حادٍّ.
The optic nerve suffered an acute inflammation.
يُشَكِّلُ هٰذا القِطاعُ عَصَبَ الاقتِصادِ الوَطَنِيّ.
This sector forms the backbone of the national economy.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | عَصَبٌ | أَعْصابٌ |
| Genitive | عَصَبٍ | أَعْصابٍ |
| Accusative | عَصَبًا | أَعْصابًا |
| Vocative | يا عَصَبُ | يا أَعْصابُ |
Word family
أَعْصابnerves, nervous system
عَصَبِيّnervous, neuralعَصَبِيَّةnervousness; group solidarity
تَعَصُّبfanaticism, bigotry
عِصابةgang, band, headband
Etymology
The word comes from the Semitic root ʕ-ṣ-b, which carries the idea of binding, wrapping, and tying together. A nerve or sinew is what binds the body's parts, so the sense of a cord that connects follows naturally. The same root gives words for group loyalty and for tight bandaging.
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