pulse
1[ puhls ]
/ pʌls /
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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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Origin of pulse
11300–50; <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
OTHER WORDS FROM pulse
un·puls·ing, adjectiveOther 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
21250–1300; Middle English puls<Latin: thick pap of meal, pulse. See poultice
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use pulse in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pulse (1 of 2)
pulse1
/ (pʌls) /
noun
verb
(intr) to beat, throb, or vibrate
(tr) to provide an electronic pulse to operate (a slide projector)
Derived forms of pulse
pulseless, adjectiveWord 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
Medical 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.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other 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.