nerve

Noun

• impudent aggressiveness
  • I couldn't believe her boldness
    
  • he had the effrontery to question my honesty
    

• the courage to carry on
  • he kept fighting on pure spunk
    
  • you haven't got the heart for baseball
    

• any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

Verb

• get ready for something difficult or unpleasant

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  boldness , brass , face , cheek , heart , mettle , spunk , nervus , steel