pulse rate

American  

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. the rate of the pulse: stated in pulsations per minute.

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Etymology

Origin of pulse rate

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Once in the late 1950s, while building machinery to record sounds a heart makes, he accidentally used the wrong resistor, but its electrical pulse rate was steady, like a heartbeat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

The drums can produce melody and, while mellow, come alive with a speed that dramatically raises the pulse rate.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Apple is expected to begin selling its flagship smartwatches without the capability to detect people’s pulse rate.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

Sometimes called a pulse rate, it's normally presented in beats per minute.

From Salon • Dec. 31, 2022

He tried to time it, but couldn’t transpose the number of beats per minute measured on his digital watch into a pulse rate because he couldn’t think.

From "The River" by Gary Paulsen