heartbeat

English

Etymology

From heart +‎ beat

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑːtˌbiːt/
• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑɹtˌbit/, [ˈhɑɹʔbiʔ]

Noun

heartbeat (plural heartbeats)

1. One pulsation of the heart; especially an irregular one, hence the emotion which causes it.

   The policeman waited for a heartbeat in vain

   He alone gives me such heartbeats

2. The rhythm at which a heart pulsates, a cardiac indicator

   If your heartbeat doesn't normalize soon, consult a doctor!

3. A driving impulse or vital force.

   Music is the heartbeat of the people.

4. A very short space of time; an instant.

   The ambulance arrived in a heartbeat.

5. (computing) A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal operation or to synchronize other parts of a system.

Synonyms

• (rhythm at which a heart pulsates): pulse

Derived terms

• in a heartbeat

Translations

one pulsation of the heart

• Bulgarian: пулс (bg) m (puls)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 心跳 (zh) (xīntiào)

• Dutch: hartslag (nl)
• Finnish: sydämenlyönti
• French: pulsation (fr) f, battement (fr) m
• Galician: latexo cardíaco m
• Georgian: გულისცემა (guliscema)
• German: Herzschlag (de) m
• Hindi: धड़कन (hi) (dhaṛkan)
• Hungarian: szívdobbanás
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: battito (it) m
• Japanese: 心拍 (しんぱく, shinpaku)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hjerteslag n

  Nynorsk: hjarteslag n

• Polish: bicie serca n, puls (pl) m
• Portuguese: batida de coração f
• Russian: бие́ние се́рдца n (bijénije sérdca), сердцебие́ние (ru) n (serdcebijénije), пульс (ru) m (pulʹs), се́рдца стук m (sérdca stuk) (poetic)
• Serbo-Croatian: otkucaj (sh) m
• Spanish: latido del corazón m, latido (es) m
• Swedish: hjärtslag (sv) n

the rhythm at which a heart pulsates

• Bulgarian: пулс (bg) m (puls)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 心跳 (zh) (xīntiào)

• Dutch: hartslag (nl), hartritme (nl) n, pols (nl)
• Finnish: syke (fi), sydämensyke
• French: rythme cardiaque m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Galician: ritmo cardíaco m
• Hungarian: szívverés (hu)
• Italian: battito cardiaco m, battito del cuore m, battito del polso m, pulsazione (it)
• Maori: kakapa manawa
• Russian: сердцебие́ние (ru) n (serdcebijénije), пульс (ru) m (pulʹs), ритм (ru) (ritm) (formal)
• Spanish: ritmo cardiaco m

driving impulse

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} kloppend hart n , ^{(please verify)} motor (nl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: syke (fi)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: inspiración (es) f

an instant

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: hartslag (nl), harteklop
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: silmänräpäys (fi)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: instante (es) m, suspiro (es), momento (es) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} batticuòre m, ^{(please verify)} battito cardiaco m, ^{(please verify)} battito del cuore m, ^{(please verify)} battito del polso m, ^{(please verify)} pulsazione (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 心拍 (shinpaku)