pulse

[ puhls ]

/ pʌls /

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See synonyms for: pulse / pulsed / pulses / pulsing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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.

vitality.

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

verb (used without object), pulsed, puls·ing.

to beat or throb; pulsate.

to beat, vibrate, or undulate.

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

verb (used with object), pulsed, puls·ing.

to cause to pulse.

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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pulse

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”

OTHER WORDS FROM pulse

un·puls·ing, adjective

Words nearby pulse

pulsating star, pulsation, pulsative, pulsator, pulsatory, pulse, pulse-amplitude modulation, pulsebeat, pulse-code modulation, pulse dialing, pulse height analyser

Other definitions for pulse (2 of 2)

pulse²

[ puhls ]

/ pʌls /

noun

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

a plant producing such seeds.

Origin of pulse

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

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

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.
Tackling covid|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
We have recorded these people not breathing and having no pulse.
Misery in Minsk|Eugene Robinson|August 18, 2020|Ozy
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 Magazine
Sonar systems send out pulses of sound and detect the echoes.
Scientists Say: Echolocation|Carolyn Wilke|April 27, 2020|Science News For Students

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.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie|Carla Hall|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“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|DAILY BEAST
The 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|DAILY BEAST
The 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|DAILY BEAST
However, 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|DAILY BEAST
The 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 Porter
Her pulse was beneath his fingers, and with every stroke of it he felt more keenly the mystery and cruelty of life.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
But 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 Hichens
It 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)

pulse¹

/ (pʌls) /

noun

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 excitementthe pulse of a city

the feelings or thoughts of a group or society as they can be measuredthe pulse of the voters

keep one's finger on the pulse to be well-informed about current events

verb

(intr) to beat, throb, or vibrate

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

Derived forms of pulse

pulseless, adjective

Word Origin for pulse

C14 pous, from Latin pulsus a beating, from pellere to beat

British Dictionary definitions for pulse (2 of 2)

pulse²

/ (pʌls) /

noun

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

the plant producing any of these seeds

Word Origin for pulse

C13 pols, from Old French, from Latin puls pottage of pulse

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

Scientific definitions for pulse

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with pulse

pulse

see take the pulse of.

pulse

Origin of pulse

OTHER WORDS FROM pulse

Words nearby pulse

Other definitions for pulse (2 of 2)

Origin of pulse

Words related to pulse

How to use pulse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pulse (1 of 2)

Derived forms of pulse

Word Origin for pulse

British Dictionary definitions for pulse (2 of 2)

Word Origin for pulse

Scientific definitions for pulse

Other Idioms and Phrases with pulse