pulsate

English

WOTD – 8 March 2009

Etymology

Perhaps formed within English as a back-formation from pulsation (attested from the early 15th century, in Middle English). A figurative derivation from New Latin pulsō, pulsātum (“(of an organ) to pulse, to emit a pulse”, intransitive) is also possible, itself a back-formation of New Latin pulsātiō (“pulsation”, 14th century), or derived from classical Latin pulsō (“to strike repeatedly”, transitive) with semantic influence from classical pulsus (“a pulse”). Ultimately from Latin pellō (“to strike”). By surface analysis, pulse +‎ -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of push.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pʌlˈseɪt/, (obsolete) /ˈpʌl.seɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌl.seɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (UK) -eɪt

Verb

pulsate (third-person singular simple present pulsates, present participle pulsating, simple past and past participle pulsated)

1. (intransitive) To expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat, exhibit a pulse. [from 1674]
2. (intransitive) To quiver, vibrate, or flash; as to the beat of music. [from 1861]

   The party pulsated with revellers.

3. (intransitive, figurative) To pulse, to be full of life, energy: to bustle, thrive, flourish. [from 1744]
4. (transitive) To produce a recurring increase and decrease of some quantity.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Derived terms

• pulsatance
• pulsating

Related terms

• pulsar
• pulsatile
• pulsation
• pulsator
• pulsatory

Translations

to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat

• Armenian: բաբախել (hy) (babaxel), զարկել (hy) (zarkel)
• Bulgarian: пулсирам (bg) (pulsiram), туптя (bg) (tuptja)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 脈動 / 脉动 (mak⁶ dong⁶), （有規律地）跳動 / （有规律地）跳动 (tiu³ dong⁶)

• Czech: pulzovat
• Finnish: sykkiä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: σφύζω (sphúzō), σκαρίζω (skarízō)

• Irish: frithbhuail
• Italian: pulsare (it)
• Polish: pulsować (pl) impf, tętnić impf
• Portuguese: pulsar (pt)
• Romanian: pulsa (ro)
• Russian: пульси́ровать (ru) (pulʹsírovatʹ), би́ться (ru) (bítʹsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: plosg
• Spanish: latir (es)
• Swedish: pulsera (sv)
• Tocharian B: särp-
• Ukrainian: пульсува́ти impf (pulʹsuváty)

to quiver, vibrate, thrill

• Bulgarian: вибрирам (bg) (vibriram)
• Czech: pulzovat
• Finnish: väristä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Russian: вибри́ровать (ru) (vibrírovatʹ), дрожа́ть (ru) (drožátʹ)

to produce a recurring increase and decrease

• Czech: oscilovat
• Finnish: sykkiä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Ukrainian: пульсува́ти impf (pulʹsuváty)

Anagrams

• puteals, septula, spatule, upsteal

Ido

Verb

pulsate

1. adverbial present passive participle of pulsar

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

pulsate

1. inflection of pulsare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

pulsate f pl

1. feminine plural of pulsato

Anagrams

• spulate, stapule

Latin

Verb

pulsāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of pulsō

Spanish

Verb

pulsate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of pulsar combined with te