pulse
1the regular throbbing of the arteries, caused by the successive contractions of the heart, especially as may be felt at an artery, as at the wrist.
a single pulsation, or beat or throb, of the arteries or heart.
the rhythmic recurrence of strokes, vibrations, or undulations.
a single stroke, vibration, or undulation.
Electricity. a momentary, sudden fluctuation in an electrical quantity, as in voltage or current.
Physics. a single, abrupt emission of particles or radiation.
a throb of life, emotion, etc.
the general attitude, sentiment, preference, etc., as of the public.
to beat or throb; pulsate.
to beat, vibrate, or undulate.
Physics. to emit particles or radiation periodically in short bursts.
to cause to pulse.
Medicine/Medical. to administer (medication) in interrupted, often concentrated dosages to avoid unwanted side effects.
Origin of pulse
1Other words from pulse
- un·puls·ing, adjective
Words Nearby pulse
Other definitions for pulse (2 of 2)
the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, as peas, beans, or lentils.
a plant producing such seeds.
Origin of pulse
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pulse in a sentence
As officials make difficult calls about when to lift—or reapply—restrictions, it will help to have “a pulse of the level of infection in a community, in real time,” says Matus—like the one thrumming under our feet.
We have recorded these people not breathing and having no pulse.
During systole, as the heart pushes blood into the rest of the body, it’s possible to feel your pulse in your fingertips.
How Your Heart Influences What You Perceive and Fear | Jordana Cepelewicz | July 6, 2020 | Quanta MagazineSonar systems send out pulses of sound and detect the echoes.
Medical imaging relies on very short pulses of this low-intensity ultrasound.
New ultrasound treatment kills off cancer cells | Alison Pearce Stevens | April 10, 2020 | Science News For Students
Add the water mixture all at once and pulse until the mixture just comes together.
“There was still no pulse, not even the smallest bit,” Johnson says.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe cop lay open-eyed with a grievous head wound as Johnson again checked for a pulse.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe pulse of the music gives the film a thrilling kind of unity.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession | Pauline Kael | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHowever, in calm, deep wave sleep, breathing and pulse is slow and regular, and movements are more than rare, he says.
The Tracker That Might Actually Help You Sleep Better | DailyBurn | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe pulse in Louis's temples beat hard; yet he was determined not to anticipate, but make Wharton explain himself.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterHer pulse was beneath his fingers, and with every stroke of it he felt more keenly the mystery and cruelty of life.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensBut he thought of the inexorable beating of that pulse of life—of life, and the will to live as her philosophy desired.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensIt is merely occupied with the number of times the pulse beats per minute in different positions of the body.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)His pulse rate was now in the neighborhood of ten per second, which is a pretty good increase.
Old Friends Are the Best | Jack Sharkey
British Dictionary definitions for pulse (1 of 2)
/ (pʌls) /
physiol
the rhythmic contraction and expansion of an artery at each beat of the heart, often discernible to the touch at points such as the wrists
a single pulsation of the heart or arteries
physics electronics
a transient sharp change in voltage, current, or some other quantity normally constant in a system
one of a series of such transient disturbances, usually recurring at regular intervals and having a characteristic geometric shape
(as modifier): a pulse generator Less common name: impulse
a recurrent rhythmic series of beats, waves, vibrations, etc
any single beat, wave, etc, in such a series
bustle, vitality, or excitement: the pulse of a city
the feelings or thoughts of a group or society as they can be measured: the pulse of the voters
keep one's finger on the pulse to be well-informed about current events
(intr) to beat, throb, or vibrate
(tr) to provide an electronic pulse to operate (a slide projector)
Origin of pulse
1Derived forms of pulse
- pulseless, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for pulse (2 of 2)
/ (pʌls) /
the edible seeds of any of several leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, and lentils
the plant producing any of these seeds
Origin of pulse
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for pulse
[ pŭls ]
The rhythmic expansion and contraction of the arteries as blood is pumped through them by the heart. The pulse can be felt at several parts of the body, as over the carotid and radial arteries.
A dose of a medication or other substance given over a short period of time, usually repetitively.
A brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity, such as an electric current or field.
Any of a series of intermittent occurrences characterized by a brief sudden change in a quantity.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with pulse
see take the pulse of.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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