Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
1pulse Pronunciation:
'p&ls Function:
noun 1 a : a regularly recurrent wave of distension in arteries that results fromthe progress through an artery of blood injected into the arterial system at each contraction of the ventricles of the heart
b : the palpable beat resulting from such pulse as detectedin a superficial artery (as the radial artery)
pulse>; also : the number of such beats in a specified period of time (as one minute) pulseof 70>
2 : PULSATION 3 a : a transient variation of a quantity (as electriccurrent or voltage) whose value is normally constant —often used of current variations produced artificially and repeated either with a regular period or according to some code
b : an electromagnetic wave or modulation thereof having brief duration
c : a brief disturbance transmitted through a medium
4 : a dose of a substanceespecially when applied over a short period of time
pulses of intravenous methylprednisolone>