noun
aggressiveness; competitive spirit; fighting spirit
Refers to a strong, assertive, or combative attitude. Often used in phrases like 鼻っ柱が強い (strong-willed, aggressive) or 鼻っ柱をへし折る (to crush someone's spirit).
See also: 鼻柱
彼は鼻っ柱が強いから、簡単には引き下がらない。
He's very aggressive, so he won't back down easily.
It's not good to say things that crush a newcomer's spirit.
鼻柱 (はなばしら) literally means the nasal septum. 鼻っ柱 (はなっぱしら) is a derived emphatic form that figuratively means aggressiveness or fighting spirit.
Derived from 鼻柱 (はなばしら, 'nasal septum') with an emphatic geminate insertion (っ) and rendaku voicing change, giving a figurative sense of a strong, protruding nose as a metaphor for assertiveness.