impulse
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (6)impulses
- an instinctive motive“profound religious impulses”Synonyms: urgeType of motivation, motiveKinds adience, abience, wanderlust, death instinct
- a sudden desire“he bought it on an impulse”Synonyms: capricewhimType of desire
- the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber“they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus”Synonyms: nerve impulsenervous impulseneural impulseType of electrical dischargeKinds action potential
- (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”Synonyms: pulsationpulsingpulseType of wave, undulation
- the act of applying force suddenly“the impulse knocked him over”Synonyms: impulsionimpetusType of drive, thrust
- an impelling force or strength“the car's momentum carried it off the road”Synonyms: momentumType of force, forcefulness
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: L. impulsus, fr. impellere. See Impel.
1. The act of impelling, or driving onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately.
All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse.— Samuel Clarke
2. The effect of an impelling force; motion produced by a sudden or momentary force.
3. Mechanics 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. 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; to buy something on impulse.
These were my natural impulses for the undertaking.— John Dryden
Synonyms: Force; incentive; influence; motive; feeling; incitement; instigation.
Origin: See Impel.
To impel; to incite. obsolete Alexander Pope
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: +PJC