Lexic.us

Definition of Impulse

1. Noun. An instinctive motive. "Profound religious impulses"

2. Noun. A sudden desire. "He bought it on an impulse"

3. Noun. The electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber. "They demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"

4. Noun. (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"

5. Noun. The act of applying force suddenly. "The impulse knocked him over"

6. Noun. An impelling force or strength. "The car's momentum carried it off the road"

Definition of Impulse

1. n. The act of impelling, or driving onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately.

2. v. t. To impel; to incite.

Definition of Impulse

1. Noun. A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels. ¹

2. Noun. A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one. ¹

3. Noun. (physics) The integral of force over time. ¹

4. Verb. (obsolete) To impel; to incite. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Impulse

1. to give impetus to [v -PULSED, -PULSING, -PULSES]

Medical Definition of Impulse

1. 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." (S. Clarke) 2. The effect of an impelling force; motion produced by a sudden or momentary force. 3. 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. "These were my natural impulses for the undertaking." (Dryden) Synonym: Force, incentive, influence, motive, feeling, incitement, instigation. Origin: L. Impulsus, fr. Impellere. See Impel. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Impulse

impudicities impudicity impugn impugnable impugnation impugnations impugned impugner impugners impugning

impugnment impugns impuissance impuissances impuissant impulse (current term) impulse-buy impulse buy impulse buying impulse buys

impulse control disorders impulse explosive impulse function impulse functions impulse purchase impulse purchases impulse turbine impulsed impulses

Literary usage of Impulse

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism by James Clerk Maxwell (1892)
"If T be the kinetic energy of the system, and if it becomes T+bT, on account of the action of an infinitesimal impulse whose components are bplt ftp.,, &c., ..."

2. The American Journal of Psychology by Edward Bradford ( Titchener, Granville Stanley Hall (1911)
"The sexual impulse has been followed from its first manifestations in childhood to ... The impulse to self-preservation feels that it is threatened by the ..."

3. The American Journal of Psychology by Granville Stanley Hall, Edward Bradford Titchener (1911)
"The sexual impulse has been followed from its first manifestations in childhood to ... The impulse to self-preservation feels that it is threatened by the ..."

4. Psychology, General Introduction by Charles Hubbard Judd (1917)
"impulse comparable to involuntary attention. The term "impulse" as applied to behavior finds a parallel in certain terms which arc used in describing ..."

5. Studies in the Psychology of Sex by Havelock Ellis (1913)
"ANALYSIS OF THE SEXUAL impulse. Definition of Instinct—The Sexual impulse a Factor of the Sexual Instinct—Theory of the Sexual impulse as an impulse of ..."

6. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London by Royal Society (Great Britain) (1904)
"This method presents the advantage that while the nervous impulse is equally reduced in both nerves to an easily measureable speed, the delay due to the ..."

7. An American Text-book of Physiology by William Henry Howell (1900)
"In this case the newly formed fibres can conduct an impulse which gives rise to a contraction, although such an impulse cannot be aroused' by directly ..."

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