释义 |
▪ I. † nerf, n. Obs. rare. Also nerfe, nerff. [a. OF. nerf:—L. nerv-um: see nerve n.] A sinew.
c1374Chaucer Troylus ii. 642 His sheld..In which men mightyn meny an arwe fynd, That thrilled hath both horn, nerfe, and rynd. c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 29 Þat þat is maad of þis nerf [v.r. nerff] and þis ligament is clepid a corde; þe which þat meueþ þe lymes to þe wille of þe soule. ▪ II. nerf, v. slang (orig. U.S.).|nɜːf| [Origin unknown.] intr. In drag-racing, to bump another car. Hence ˈnerf-bar, ˈnerfing-bar, a bumper fitted to a car used in drag-racing.
1953Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang (1954) §728/1 Nerfing, bumping another car out of the way. 1955Hot Rod Mag. May 28 The nerf bar itself is mounted in a ‘slip tube’ that is welded permanently to the reworked bumper irons. 1960Wentworth & Flexner Dict. Amer. Slang 352/2 The nerfing bar that supports the bumper on most cars. 1962Punch 17 Oct. 561/1 A custom-built nerfing bar (bumper). 1969R. E. Jennings Automotive Dict. 158/1 Nerf bar: see ‘Nerfing Bar’. Nerfing bar, small, lightweight, vertical bumpers normally used on race cars, hot rods, and custom cars. Ibid., Nerf, to bump, shove, or push a car during a racing event with another racer. Nerfing is very popular on short tracks. |