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impulse

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: impulsé and Impulse

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus.

For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈɪmpʌls/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: im‧pulse

Noun

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impulse (plural impulses)

  1. A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
  2. A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
    The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.
    When I saw the new book, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.
    • 1685, John Dryden, transl., “Preface”, in Sylvæ: Or, The Second Part of Poetical Miscellanies, London: [] Jacob Tonson, [], →OCLC; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, page 16:
      Theſe were my natural Impulses for the undertaking: []
    • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
      Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, [] .”
    • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 218:
      An impulse urged him to plant a sudden blow on it, by he forced himself to consider the impolicy of such an act.
  3. (physics) The integral of force over time.
    The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the projectile.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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impulse (third-person singular simple present impulses, present participle impulsing, simple past and past participle impulsed)

  1. (transitive) To impel; to incite.
    • 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World [], London: [] William Stansby for Walter Burre, [], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):
      With that force so impulsed and prest they are carried under the deepe Ocean.

References

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French

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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impulse

  1. inflection of impulser:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

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Verb

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impulse

  1. third-person singular past historic of impellere

Latin

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Participle

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impulse

  1. vocative masculine singular of impulsus

Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /imˈpulse/ [ĩmˈpul.se]
  • Rhymes: -ulse
  • Syllabification: im‧pul‧se

Verb

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impulse

  1. inflection of impulsar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative