nexus

[nek-suhs]

noun

plural

nexuses, nexus 

1. a means of connection; tie; link.

2. a connected series or group.

3. the core or center, as of a matter or situation.

4. Cell Biology.,  a specialized area of the cell membrane involved in intercellular communication and adhesion.

nexus

/ ˈnɛksəs /

noun

1. a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond

2. a connected group or series

Word History and Origins

Origin of nexus¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin nexus “a binding, joining, fastening,” noun use of past participle of nectere “to bind, join, tie”

Word History and Origins

Origin of nexus¹

C17: from Latin: a binding together, from nectere to bind

Example Sentences

“Not about anything else. It starts there. That’s the nexus of the work that I do.”

From Los Angeles Times

Whatever the truth, Veytia’s history of heinous crimes dramatizes the intractable nexus between Mexican officialdom and the country’s ruthless mafias.

From Los Angeles Times

The gleaming textures, precise drums and razor-sharp guitar work of that dying factory town bring to mind an abandoned, chrome-plated future that politicians never even bothered to promise in the one-time nexus of the South.

From Salon

As a lowly CC, I am no longer the nexus of information or the potential recipient of furious commentary — “Oh my God, mom, do you even read your emails?”

From Los Angeles Times

The society feared that the reported involvement of the army in the matter "underscores a dangerous nexus of military power and political oppression".

From BBC