appulse

[ uh-puhls ]

See synonyms for appulse on Thesaurus.com

noun

energetic motion toward a point.
the act of striking against something.

Astronomy. the approach or occurrence of conjunction between two celestial bodies.

Origin of appulse

1620–30; <Latin appulsus driven to, landed (past participle of appellere), equivalent to ap-ap-¹ + pul- (variant stem of pellere to drive, push) + -sus, variant of -tus past participle suffix

Other words from appulse

ap·pul·sive, adjective
ap·pul·sive·ly, adverb

Words Nearby appulse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use appulse in a sentence

appulse, ap-puls′, n. a striking against: the approach of a planet to a conjunction with the sun or a star.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) | Various
Every appulse of life against matter means an added push in the direction of spiritualization.
The Mystery of Space | Robert T. Browne
May not the effect be mechanical, the appulse of the air separating the flame from the wick.
The Life of Sir Humphrey Davy, Bart. LL.D., Volume 2 (of 2) | John Ayrton Paris
The next approximate appulse of the two bodies will occur in 1985, when the form of the comet's orbit may be sensibly modified.
Comets and Meteors | Daniel Kirkwood
The appulse or near approach is but one of the methods by which the spiral nebul may have come into existence.
Astronomy | David Todd

British Dictionary definitions for appulse

appulse

/ (əˈpʌls) /

noun

a very close approach of two celestial bodies so that they are in conjunction but no eclipse or occultation occurs

Origin of appulse

C17: from Latin appulsus brought near, from appellere to drive towards, from pellere to drive

Derived forms of appulse

appulsive, adjective
appulsively, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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