Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

impulse

 - 5 dictionary results
Verizon Wireless INpulse?
Get INpulse? at Verizon Wireless and save now! Official Site.
VerizonWireless.com
Impulse + California
2,000+ Impulse Products Shop, Compare and Save at Pronto.
Impulse.Pronto.com
Buy Impulse Online
Get the better deal on Impulse footwear. Free shipping both ways!
Zappos.com/Impulse

im⋅pulse

  [im-puhls]
Use impulse in a Sentence
–noun
1. the influence of a particular feeling, mental state, etc.: to act under a generous impulse; to strike out at someone from an angry impulse.
2. sudden, involuntary inclination prompting to action: to be swayed by impulse.
3. an instance of this.
4. a psychic drive or instinctual urge.
5. an impelling action or force, driving onward or inducing motion.
6. the effect of an impelling force; motion induced; impetus given.
7. Physiology. a progressive wave of excitation over a nerve or muscle fiber, having either a stimulating or inhibitory effect.
8. Mechanics. the product of the average force acting upon a body and the time during which it acts, equivalent to the change in the momentum of the body produced by such a force.
9. Electricity. a single, usually sudden, flow of current in one direction.
–adjective
10. marked by or acting on impulse: an impulse buyer.
11. bought or acquired on impulse: To reduce expenses, shun impulse items when shopping.
Origin:
1640–50; < L impulsus pressure, impulse, equiv. to im- im- 1 + pul- (var. s. of pellere to push) + -sus, var. of -tus suffix of v. action
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To impulse
Verizon Wireless INpulse?
Get INpulse? at Verizon Wireless and save now! Official Site.
VerizonWireless.com
Impulse + California
2,000+ Impulse Products Shop, Compare and Save at Pronto.
Impulse.Pronto.com
im·pulse   (ĭm'pŭls')   
n.  

    1. An impelling force; an impetus.

    2. The motion produced by such a force.

  2. A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination: had an impulse to run away; an impulse of regret that made me hesitate; bought a hat on impulse.

  3. A motivating force or tendency: "Respect for the liberty of others is not a natural impulse in most men" (Bertrand Russell).

  4. Electronics A surge of electrical power in one direction.

  5. Physics The product obtained by multiplying the average value of a force by the time during which it acts. The impulse equals the change in momentum produced by the force in this time interval.

  6. Physiology The electrochemical transmission of a signal along a nerve fiber that produces an excitatory or inhibitory response at a target tissue, such as a muscle or another nerve.

adj.  Characterized by impulsiveness or acting on impulse: an impulse shopper; impulse buying.

[Latin impulsus, from past participle of impellere, to impel; see impel.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: im·pulse
Pronunciation: 'im-"p&ls
Function: noun
1 : a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nervefibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition
2 a : a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action impulse … may have driven the defendant to the commission of the murderous act —B. N. Cardozo> b : a propensity or natural tendency usually otherthan rational impulse of self-expression —Havelock Ellis>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

impulse im·pulse (ĭm'pŭls')
n.

  1. A sudden pushing or driving force.

  2. A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination.

  3. The electrochemical transmission of a signal along a nerve fiber that produces an excitatory or inhibitory response at a target tissue.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
impulse   (ĭm'pŭls')  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A sudden flow of electrical current in one direction.

  2. An electrical signal traveling along the axon of a neuron. Nerve impulses excite or inhibit activity in other neurons or in the tissues of the body, such as muscles and glands.

  3. The change of momentum of a body or physical system over a time interval in classical mechanics, equal to the force applied times the length of the time interval over which it is applied.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see impulse on Thesaurus | Reference
Buy Impulse Online
Get the better deal on Impulse footwear. Free shipping both ways!
Zappos.com/Impulse
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way