 impulse |
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| 1. | [ noun ] an instinctive motive | |
| Synonyms: | urge | |
| Examples: | "profound religious impulses" |
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| Related terms: | motivation wanderlust adience death_instinct abience | |
| 2. | [ noun ] a sudden desire | |
| Synonyms: | whim vagary caprice | |
| Examples: | "he bought it on impulse" |
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| Related terms: | desire | |
| 3. | [ noun ] (physics,electricity) the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber | |
| Synonyms: | nerve_impulse | |
| Examples: | "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus" |
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| Related terms: | electrical_discharge action_potential | |
| 4. | [ noun ] (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients) | |
| Synonyms: | pulsation pulse pulsing | |
| Examples: | "the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star" |
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| Related terms: | wave electronics pulse | |
| 5. | [ noun ] the act of applying force suddenly | |
| Synonyms: | impetus impulsion | |
| Examples: | "the impulse knocked him over" |
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| Related terms: | drive propel | |
| 6. | [ noun ] an impelling force or strength | |
| Synonyms: | momentum | |
| Examples: | "the car's momentum carried it off the road" |
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| Related terms: | force | |
| Similar spelling: |
impulsive impulsion impel |
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