pulse

¹ American  

[puhls] / pʌls /

noun

1. the 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.

2. a single pulsation, or beat or throb, of the arteries or heart.

3. the rhythmic recurrence of strokes, vibrations, or undulations.

4. a single stroke, vibration, or undulation.

5. Electricity. a momentary, sudden fluctuation in an electrical quantity, as in voltage or current.

6. Physics. a single, abrupt emission of particles or radiation.

7. a throb of life, emotion, etc.

8. vitality.

9. the general attitude, sentiment, preference, etc., as of the public.

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verb (used without object)

pulses, present (3rd person singular) pulsed, past participle, past pulsing present participle

1. to beat or throb; pulsate.

2. to beat, vibrate, or undulate.

3. Physics. to emit particles or radiation periodically in short bursts.

verb (used with object)

pulses, present (3rd person singular) pulsed, past participle, past pulsing present participle

1. to cause to pulse.

2. Medicine/Medical. to administer (medication) in interrupted, often concentrated dosages to avoid unwanted side effects.

pulse ² American  

[puhls] / pʌls /

noun

1. the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, as peas, beans, or lentils.

2. a plant producing such seeds.

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pulse ¹ British  

/ pʌls /

noun

1. the edible seeds of any of several leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, and lentils

2. the plant producing any of these seeds

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pulse ² British  

/ pʌls /

noun

1. physiol

   1. 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

   2. a single pulsation of the heart or arteries

2. physics electronics

   1. a transient sharp change in voltage, current, or some other quantity normally constant in a system

   2. one of a series of such transient disturbances, usually recurring at regular intervals and having a characteristic geometric shape

   3. Less common name: impulse.  ( as modifier )

      a pulse generator

3. 1. a recurrent rhythmic series of beats, waves, vibrations, etc

   2. any single beat, wave, etc, in such a series

4. bustle, vitality, or excitement

   the pulse of a city

5. the feelings or thoughts of a group or society as they can be measured

   the pulse of the voters

6. to be well-informed about current events

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verb

1. (intr) to beat, throb, or vibrate

2. (tr) to provide an electronic pulse to operate (a slide projector)

pulse Scientific  

/ pŭls /

1. 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.

2. A dose of a medication or other substance given over a short period of time, usually repetitively.

3. 1. A brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity, such as an electric current or field.

   2. Any of a series of intermittent occurrences characterized by a brief sudden change in a quantity.

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pulse Idioms  

1. see take the pulse of.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pulseless
  adjective
• unpulsing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• pulsing
  present
• pulsed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pulse
  simple
• pulses
  simple
• have pulsed
  perfect
• has pulsed
  perfect
• am pulsing
  progressive
• are pulsing
  progressive
• is pulsing
  progressive
• have been pulsing
  perfect progressive
• has been pulsing
  perfect progressive

Past

• pulsed
  simple
• had pulsed
  perfect
• was pulsing
  progressive
• were pulsing
  progressive
• had been pulsing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pulse
  simple
• will have pulsed
  perfect
• will be pulsing
  progressive
• will have been pulsing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pulse¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pous(e), puls(e), from Old French pous, pulse, and Latin pulsus “a beat, stroke, throb,” noun use of past participle of pellere “to push, drive, strike”

Origin of pulse²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English puls, pols, from Old French pous, pouls, pols, from Latin puls “porridge; thick pap of meal”; see also poultice

Explanation

The word pulse has many shades of meaning, but most of them involve something characterized by short, rhythmic bursts. If you’re angry, the muscles in your jaw might pulse — meaning they contract quickly in short bursts. Pulse can be a noun that describes the rhythmic pumping of blood through your veins and arteries. You’ve probably had a nurse take your pulse as a way to measure your heart rate. Pulse can refer to other things that have a rhythmic beat, like the pulse of dance music or a pulse of flashing light. The verb describes something that throbs, literally or figuratively. Your blood will pulse through your veins, or a busy city may pulse with life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pulse pulses pulsed pulsing

A bystander begged to help Good, to check her pulse and perform first aid.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

I saw canopies of Iraqi flags, bodies out every window, everyone dancing to a faint hip-hop pulse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Thursday tapped a former CEO of Walmart to help the U.S. central bank find better ways to keep its finger on the pulse of the U.S. economy.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

Connor was sent to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen as his pulse was really high.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

Farmer kneels on the dirt floor and takes the man’s pulse and blood pressure, then puts a stethoscope to his chest.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

They then introduced a brief delay between laser pulses.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026

In Bihar, children are typically served rice with pulses or chickpeas, plus an egg once a week.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

India's main summer crops include rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and jute.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

The first track, “Drop Dead,” begins with synth pulses and synthetic drums in a way that immediately evokes the ’80s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

It pulses, but it’s not burning quite yet.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Mix with pulsed chickpeas and garlic for a creamier version of hummus.

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026

They then pulsed the electron beam 4,000 times over two hours, repeatedly dissolving the defects as they formed.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026

Though she initially was considered missing, the urgency to quickly find Guthrie pulsed through the first days of media coverage because of her heart condition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

Concerns about the wider implications of such a change pulsed through discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month and have contributed to widespread economic anxiety in the US.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

The one on his shin throbbed and pulsed, even when he wasn’t moving, so he focused on it.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

"The guy talking to me said he could see something pulsing under my eye, so that was obviously my body unwell and reacting. But it worked."

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

On “Age of Capricorn” a buzzing voice seems to be reciting some kind of code, with strings of letters ringing out over pulsing synths and a blooming bassline redolent of a pipe organ.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

A veritable feast for the ears that shimmers with sound — a stray guitar flourish here, a pulsing synthesizer there.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

The former’s pulsing soundtrack tears apart “Little Nemo’s” enchanting dream logic, shattering the illusion that Nemo — despite its virtuosic rendering — can be so cleanly distinguished from its accompanying grotesque depictions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

There was a dim glow pulsing from the middle of the hazel thicket, as if a tiny cloud of stars were glimmering there.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• vibration