pulsation

American  

[puhl-sey-shuhn] / pʌlˈseɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of pulsating; beating or throbbing.

2. a beat or throb, as of the pulse.

3. vibration or undulation.

4. a single vibration.

---

pulsation British  

/ pʌlˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of pulsating

2. physiol a rhythmic beating or pulsing esp of the heart or an artery

---

Other Word Forms

• nonpulsation noun

Etymology

Origin of pulsation

1375–1425; late Middle English pulsacioun < Latin pulsātiōn- (stem of pulsātiō ). See pulsate, -ion

Explanation

Pulsation is a throbbing, repeating rhythm, like the pulsation of your blood in your ears when you're running or the pulsation of music in a loud dance club. The pulsation of your heart is what pumps blood through your body — it moves rhythmically, expanding and contracting. Anything that throbs this way is also pulsation, like the when the car stereo is turned up so loud you can feel the beat of the music through the soles of your feet. Pulsation comes from the Latin pulsationem, "a beating or striking," and its root meaning "to thrust, strike, or drive."

Example Sentences

It’s hard to know what to make of these data, which sometimes include any sign of life, such as umbilical cord pulsation, and don’t obviously differentiate miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion.

From Slate • Sep. 17, 2024

In addition to the fluid exchange promoted by APQ4 activity in astrocytes, another mechanism by which gamma waves promote glymphatic flow is by increasing the pulsation of neighboring blood vessels.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

He recalled that Christian, a keen boxer, measured a pulse rate of 240bpm, but said there was "little pulsation" in his radial artery and "essentially no circulation" in his fingers.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2022

Meditation also seems to intensify theta-wave activity, a type of rhythmic electrical pulsation often associated with a state of calm.

From New York Times • May 18, 2017

“A brief pulsation in the black hole of eternity. My advice to you—” “Wait and see,” I said.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner