heartbeat
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (3)
- the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart“he could feel the beat of her heart”Synonyms: pulsepulsationbeat
- a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)“if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash”Synonyms: blink of an eyeflashinstantjiffysplit secondtricetwinklingwinkNew York minute
- an animating or vital unifying force“New York is the commercial heartbeat of America”
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Syn: pulse, pulsation, beat. [WordNet 1.5]
in a heartbeat immediately. [PJC]
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
1.<networking> The signal emitted by a Level 2 Ethernet transceiver at the end of every packet to show that the collision-detection circuit is still connected.
2.A periodic synchronisation signal used by software or hardware, such as a bus clock or a periodic interrupt.
3.The "natural" oscillation frequency of a computer's clock crystal, before frequency division down to the machine's clock rate.
4.A signal emitted at regular intervals by software to demonstrate that it is still alive. Sometimes hardware is designed to reboot the machine if it stops hearing a heartbeat. See also breath-of-life packet, watchdog. [Jargon File]
(1996-03-12)
The Jargon File
1.The signal emitted by a Level 2 Ethernet transceiver at the end of every packet to show that the collision-detection circuit is still connected.
2.A periodic synchronization signal used by software or hardware, such as a bus clock or a periodic interrupt.
3.The ‘natural’ oscillation frequency of a computer's clock crystal, before frequency division down to the machine's clock rate.
4.A signal emitted at regular intervals by software to demonstrate that it is still alive. Sometimes hardware is designed to reboot the machine if it stops hearing a heartbeat. See also breath-of-life packet.