A.sinew, tendon, once in Hom., in pl., of the tendons at the feet, “περὶ δ᾽ ἔγχεος αἰχμῇ νεῦρα διεσχίσθη” Il.16.316, cf. Hp.Art. 11, etc.; “τὰ ν. οἷα ἐπιτείνεσθαι καὶ ἀνίεσθαι” Pl.Phd.98c; ν. ἐξ ἰνῶν [γίγνεται] Id.Ti.82c; σάρκες καὶ ν. ibid.; “σύγκειταί μου τὸ σῶμα ἐξ ὀστῶν καὶ ν.” Id.Phd.98c, cf. Arist.HA515a27, al.: used adjectivally, ib.540a18 (s.v.l.).
2. metaph., in pl., nerves, sinews, τὰ ν. τῆς τραγῳδίας, of the lyric odes, Ar.Ra.862; “ὑποτέτμηται τὰ ν. τῶν πραγμάτων” Aeschin.3.166; “ἕως ἐκτέμῃ ὥσπερ ν. ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς” Pl.R.411b; ἐκτ. τὰ ν. [οἴνου] Plu.2.692c; also πόλις ἥτις μὴ νεῦρ᾽ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας “ἔχει” D.19.283: less freq. in sg., “τὸ ν. ὑποκόπτοντες τῆς δυνάμεως” J.BJ 5.1.4; “χρήματα ν. πολέμου” App.BC4.99.
II. cord made of sinew, e. g. bowstring, Il.4.122; string fastening the head of the arrow to the shaft, ib.151; also “δέρματα συρράπτειν νεύρῳ βοός” Hes.Op.544; cord of a sling, X.An.3.4.17, Q.S.11.112; bowstring, Ach.Tat.3.8.
3. string of a lyre, AP9.584.9, Luc.DMar.1.4.
III. in pl., fibres of plants, Pl.Plt. 280c.
IV. nerves, as organs of sensation, first in Erasistr. ap. Gal.5.602; ν. πρακτικά, αἰσθητικά, etc., Ruf.Onom.211; ν. κινητικά, προαιρετικά, Gal.2.613, 739; “ν. ἀκουστικόν” Alex.Aphr.Pr.1.71, cf. Gal.2.831, Plot.4.3.23.
V. penis, Pl.Com.173.19, Gal.8.442. (Cf. Skt. snā´van-, Avest. snāvar[schwa], 'sinew', 'bond'.)