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

When needed, it’s released in a 2-3 second pulse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

A violinist who covered music from 1925 to 1947, she was a modernist with her finger on the pulse of the times and stood in refreshing contrast to the fussy East Coast male critics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Each successive powerful eruptive pulse sends another column tens of kilometers upwards, from where it spreads into a new umbrella cloud.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

World Athletics took the decision to include events based on viewer behaviour, including pulse rate and sweat response.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

She needed a breath and pulse to calm her, something alive she could match, so she could fix her mask and keep pretending....

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

“Heavy Metal” mostly leaned minimal, with spare electronics and occasional percussion, and here Mr. Winter’s piano is thick with chords and repeating pulses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Data runs through the glass, in the form of pulses of light, at the speed of over 100,000 miles per second.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

The researchers say the current speed limit comes from the laser pulses used to operate the system, not from the fundamental properties of the meta-material itself.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

It also stipulates that if beans or pulses form the protein part of a main course, another vegetable must be available.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

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

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Fusion startup Xcimer Energy is working with RTX to develop pulsed laser weapons designed to shoot down drone swarms and missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The bar in East Flagler Street pulsed with life and danced to the beat of the World Cup.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

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

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 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

The dots pulsed on his side of the screen, then vanished.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

The video, set to pulsing music, delivering a scathing critique of the system that he once tried to reform.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

And pulsing is no joke — one exercise left my calves shaking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The steady pulsing of milking machines mingled with a thumping musical beat as McAfee marched down the rows, pointing to their light pink udders.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

New York City is pulsing with more energy than usual as the Knicks prepare to face the Spurs in crucial game five of the NBA Finals tonight.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Ella listened for her bottle tree's pulsing life force and began to sing.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• vibration