Definitions for impulseˈɪm pʌls

ADVERTISEMENT

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

im•pulseˈɪm pʌls(n.)

  1. the influence of a particular feeling, mental state, etc.:

    a generous impulse.

  2. sudden, involuntary inclination prompting to action:

    swayed by impulse.

  3. an instance of this:

    an impulse to cry.

  4. an impelling action or force driving onward or inducing motion.

  5. the effect of an impelling force.

  6. a progressive wave of excitation over a nerve or muscle fiber having a stimulating or inhibitory effect.

    Category: Physiology

  7. the product of the average force acting upon a body and the time during which it acts, equivalent to the change in the momentum of the body produced by such a force.

    Category: Mechanics

  8. a single, usu. sudden, flow of electric current in one direction.

    Category: Electricity and Magnetism

Origin of impulse:

1640–50; < L impulsus pressure, impulse <impul-, var. s. of impellere to strike against; see impel

Princeton's WordNet

  1. urge, impulse(noun)

    an instinctive motive

    "profound religious impulses"

  2. caprice, impulse, whim(noun)

    a sudden desire

    "he bought it on an impulse"

  3. nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse, impulse(noun)

    the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber

    "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"

  4. pulsation, pulsing, pulse, impulse(noun)

    (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

    "the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star"

  5. impulse, impulsion, impetus(noun)

    the act of applying force suddenly

    "the impulse knocked him over"

  6. momentum, impulse(noun)

    an impelling force or strength

    "the car's momentum carried it off the road"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. impulse(noun)ˈɪm pʌls

    a sudden strong desire to do sth

    the impulse to start laughing; to act on impulse

  2. impulseˈɪm pʌls

    an electrical signal or a signal carried through the nerves in your body

    electrical impulses in the body

Wiktionary

  1. impulse(Noun)

    A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.

  2. impulse(Noun)

    A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one.

  3. impulse(Noun)

    The integral of force over time.

    The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the bullet.

  4. Origin: From impulsus.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Impulse(noun)

    the act of impelling, or driving onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately

  2. Impulse(noun)

    the effect of an impelling force; motion produced by a sudden or momentary force

  3. Impulse(noun)

    the action of a force during a very small interval of time; the effect of such action; as, the impulse of a sudden blow upon a hard elastic body

  4. Impulse(noun)

    a mental force which simply and directly urges to action; hasty inclination; sudden motive; momentary or transient influence of appetite or passion; propension; incitement; as, a man of good impulses; passion often gives a violent impulse to the will

  5. Impulse(verb)

    to impel; to incite

The Standard Electrical Dictionary

  1. Impulse

    (a) An electro-magnetic impulse is the impulse produced upon the luminiferous ether by an oscillatory discharge or other varying type of current; the impulse is supposed to be identical, except as regards wave-length, with a light wave. (b) An electro-motive impulse is the electro-motive force which rises so high as to produce an impulsive or oscillatory discharge, such as that of a Leyden jar.


Translations for impulse

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

impulse(noun)

a sudden desire to do something, without thinking about the consequences

I bought the dress on impulse; – I didn't really need it

Get even more translations for impulse »


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"impulse." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 19 May 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/impulse>.


The Web's Largest Resource for

Definitions & Translations


A Member Of The STANDS4 Network


Nearby & related entries:

Alternative searches for impulse: