definitions
  • synonyms

pulse

1
[ puhls ]
/ pʌls /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pulse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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.

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RELATED WORDS

vibration, oscillation, throb, stroke, beating, pulsation, throbbing

Nearby words

pulsation, pulsative, pulsatively, pulsator, pulsatory, pulse, pulse code modulation, pulse deficit, pulse dialing, pulse generator, pulse height analyser

Origin of pulse

1
1300–50; < Latin pulsus a beat, equivalent to *peld-, base of pellere to set in motion by beating or striking (cf. impel) + -tus, suffix of v. action, with dt < s and backing and raising of e before velar l; replacing Middle English pous < Middle French < Latin, as above
Related formsun·puls·ing, adjective

Definition for pulse (2 of 2)

pulse

2
[ puhls ]
/ pʌls /

noun

the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, as peas, beans, or lentils.
a plant producing such seeds.

Origin of pulse

2
1250–1300; Middle English puls < Latin: thick pap of meal, pulse. See poultice
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pulse

British Dictionary definitions for pulse (1 of 2)

pulse

1
/ (pʌls) /

noun

verb

(intr) to beat, throb, or vibrate
(tr) to provide an electronic pulse to operate (a slide projector)
Derived Formspulseless, adjective

Word Origin for pulse

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

British Dictionary definitions for pulse (2 of 2)

pulse

2
/ (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

Medicine definitions for pulse

pulse

[ pŭls ]

n.

The rhythmical dilation of arteries produced when blood is pumped outward by regular contractions of the heart, especially as palpated at the wrist or in the neck.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science 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.
  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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with pulse

pulse

see take the pulse of.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.