pulse

UK: /ˈpʌls/ US: /pʌls/ ,(puls)

Inflections of 'pulse' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

pulses

v 3rd person singular

pulsing

v pres p

pulsed

v past

pulsed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pulse¹ /pʌls/   n., v., pulsed, puls•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. Physiology the regular beat or throbbing of the arteries, caused by the successive contractions of the heart:
   The doctor felt his wrist for a pulse.
2. a stroke, vibration, or regular series of beats:
   a pulse of drums.
3. the general feelings, opinions, attitudes, or sentiments, as of the public.
4. Electricity a momentary, sudden surge or drop in an electrical quantity.
5. Physics a single, sudden emission of particles or radiation.

v. [no object]

6. to beat or throb;
   pulsate:
   The blood pulsed through his veins.

See -puls-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pulse¹  (puls), n., v., pulsed, puls•ing. 
n. 

1. Physiology the regular throbbing of the arteries, caused by the successive contractions of the heart, esp. as may be felt at an artery, as at the wrist.
2. Physiology 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.

v.i. 

10. to beat or throb;
    pulsate.
11. to beat, vibrate, or undulate.
12. Physics to emit particles or radiation periodically in short bursts.

v.t. 

13. to cause to pulse.
14. Medicine to administer (medication) in interrupted, often concentrated dosages to avoid unwanted side effects.

• Latin, as above
• Middle French
• s and backing and raising of e before velar l; replacing Middle English pous
• Latin pulsus a beat, equivalent. to *peld-, base of pellere to set in motion by beating or striking (compare impel) + -tus, suffix of verb, verbal action, with dt
• 1300–50

pulse²  (puls), n. 

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

• Latin: thick pap of meal, pulse. See poultice
• Middle English puls 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pulse / pʌls/ noun

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
3. a transient sharp change in voltage, current, or some other quantity normally constant in a system
4. one of a series of such transient disturbances, usually recurring at regular intervals and having a characteristic geometric shape
5. a recurrent rhythmic series of beats, waves, vibrations, etc
6. any single beat, wave, etc, in such a series
7. bustle, vitality, or excitement: the pulse of a city
8. keep one's finger on the pulse ⇒ to be well-informed about current events

verb

1. (intransitive) to beat, throb, or vibrate
2. (transitive) to provide an electronic pulse to operate (a slide projector)

Etymology: 14th Century pous, from Latin pulsus a beating, from pellere to beat

ˈpulseless adjective

ˈpulselessness noun

pulse / 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

Etymology: 13th Century pols, from Old French, from Latin puls pottage of pulse