impulse

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word impulse. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word impulse, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say impulse in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word impulse you have here. The definition of the word impulse will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofimpulse, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: impulsé and Impulse

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus.

For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪmpʌls/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Hyphenation: im‧pulse

Noun

impulse (plural impulses)

  1. A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
  2. A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
    The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.
    When I saw the new book, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.
    • 1685, John Dryden, transl., “Preface”, in Sylvæ: Or, The Second Part of Poetical Miscellanies, London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, page 16:
      Theſe were my natural Impulses for the undertaking: […]
    • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict‎:
      Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, […] .”
    • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 218:
      An impulse urged him to plant a sudden blow on it, by he forced himself to consider the impolicy of such an act.
  3. (physics) The integral of force over time.
    The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the projectile.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

impulse (third-person singular simple present impulses, present participle impulsing, simple past and past participle impulsed)

  1. (transitive) To impel; to incite.

References

French

Pronunciation

Verb

impulse

  1. inflection of impulser:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

Verb

impulse

  1. third-person singular past historic of impellere

Latin

Participle

impulse

  1. vocative masculine singular of impulsus

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /imˈpulse/
  • Rhymes: -ulse
  • Syllabification: im‧pul‧se

Verb

impulse

  1. inflection of impulsar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia