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impulse

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
im·pulse  (mpls)
n.
1.
a. An impelling force; an impetus.
b. The motion produced by such a force.
2. A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination: had an impulse to run away; an impulse of regret that made me hesitate; bought a hat on impulse.
3. A motivating force or tendency: "Respect for the liberty of others is not a natural impulse in most men" Bertrand Russell.
4. Electronics A surge of electrical power in one direction.
5. Physics The product obtained by multiplying the average value of a force by the time during which it acts. The impulse equals the change in momentum produced by the force in this time interval.
6. Physiology The electrochemical transmission of a signal along a nerve fiber that produces an excitatory or inhibitory response at a target tissue, such as a muscle or another nerve.
adj.
Characterized by impulsiveness or acting on impulse: an impulse shopper; impulse buying.

[Latin impulsus, from past participle of impellere, to impel; see impel.]

impulse
Noun
1. a sudden desire or whim
2. an instinctive drive; urge: the mothering impulse
3. Physics
a. the product of a force acting on a body and the time for which it acts
b. the change in the momentum of a body as a result of a force acting upon it
4. Physiol a stimulus transmitted in a nerve or muscle [Latin impulsus incitement]

impulse  (mpls)
1. A sudden flow of electrical current in one direction.
2. An electrical signal traveling along the axon of a neuron. Nerve impulses excite or inhibit activity in other neurons or in the tissues of the body, such as muscles and glands.
3. The change of momentum of a body or physical system over a time interval in classical mechanics, equal to the force applied times the length of the time interval over which it is applied.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.impulseimpulse - an instinctive motive; "profound religious impulses"
motivation, motive, need - the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; "we did not understand his motivation"; "he acted with the best of motives"
abience - (psychology) an urge to withdraw or avoid a situation or an object
adience - (psychology) an urge to accept or approach a situation or an object
death instinct, death wish, Thanatos - (psychoanalysis) an unconscious urge to die
itchy feet, wanderlust - very strong or irresistible impulse to travel
2.impulse - a sudden desire; "he bought it on an impulse"
desire - the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
3.impulse - the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber; "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"
electrical discharge - a discharge of electricity
action potential - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted
4.impulseimpulse - (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"
electronics - the branch of physics that deals with the emission and effects of electrons and with the use of electronic devices
undulation, wave - (physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
5.impulse - the act of applying force suddenly; "the impulse knocked him over"
drive, driving force, thrust - the act of applying force to propel something; "after reaching the desired velocity the drive is cut off"
6.impulse - an impelling force or strength; "the car's momentum carried it off the road"
forcefulness, strength, force - physical energy or intensity; "he hit with all the force he could muster"; "it was destroyed by the strength of the gale"; "a government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man"

impulse
noun 2. force, pressure, push, movement, surge, motive, thrust, momentum, stimulus, catalyst, impetus >> on impulse impulsively, of your own accord, freely, voluntarily, instinctively, impromptu, off the cuff (informal) in the heat of the moment, off your own bat, quite unprompted
Translations

impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] nimpulso;
to act on impulse → actuar sin reflexionar, dejarse llevar por el impulso
impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] nimpulsion f;
on impulse → impulsivement, sur un coup de tête
impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] nImpuls m;
(urge) → Drang m;
to act on impulse → aus einem Impuls heraus handeln
impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] nimpulso;
to act on impulse → agire d'impulso or impulsivamente

impulse
n impulse [ˈimpals]
1 a sudden desire to do something, without thinking about the consequences I bought the dress on impulse – I didn't really need itimpulsنَزْوَهпоривnáhlý popudindskydelse; impulsdie Eingebungπαρόρμηση, αυθόρμητη ενέργειαimpulsosiseajeهوسmielijohdeimpulsionדַחַףआवेगimpuls, porivindíték; ösztönös cselekvésimpuls, gerakan hatiskyndilega hugdettaimpulso衝動충동impulsasimpulssgerakan hatiimpuls, opwellingimpuls, innfallodruchimpulsoimpul­sпорывpopudnagonimpulsimpulsแรงกระตุ้นani istek, dürtü衝動спонукання; поштовхاکساہٹsự hấp tấp
2 a sudden force or stimulation an electrical impulse.impulsدافِع،حافِزимпулсimpulzimpulsder Impulsερέθισμα, διέγερσηimpulsoimpulssضربه؛ تکانهimpulssiimpulsionפּוּלסसंवेगpobuda, pokretačka silaimpulzusrangsanganhreyfiafl; kippur, höggimpulso衝撃충격impulsasimpulssrangsanganimpulsimpuls, (strøm)støtbodziecimpulsoimpulsимпульсimpulzimpulzimpulsimpulsกระแสประสาทempüls, akım darbesi衝力,脈衝імпульсذہنی ہیجانsự thúc đẩy
adj imˈpulsive [-siv]
done, or likely to act, suddenly, without careful thought an impulsive action; You're far too impulsive!impulsiefنَزوي، مُتَهَوِّر، نَزِقимпулсивенnutkavý; vznětlivýimpulsivimpulsivαυθόρμητος, παρορμητικόςimpulsivoimpulsiivneهوسی؛ ویریimpulsiivinenimpulsifאִימפּוּלסִיבִיआवेगीimpulzivanlobbanékonyimpulsifhvatvís, fljóthugaimpulsivo衝動的な충동적인impulsyvusimpulsīvsmengikut gerakan hatiimpulsiefimpulsiv, spontanimpulsywnyimpulsivoim­pul­siv; nechibzuitимпульсивныйimpulzívny, konajúci bez rozmyslunepremišljenimpulsivanimpulsivหุนหันพลันแล่นdüşüncesiz衝動的імпульсивний; спонукальнийوقتی تحریک پر مبنیhấp tấp
adv imˈpulsively
impulsiefبانْدِفاع، بِتَهَوُّرимпулсивноbez rozmysluimpulsivtimpulsivαυθόρμηταimpulsivamenteimpulsiivseltبلا اختیارimpulsiivisestiimpulsivementבְּאוֹפֶן אִימפּוּלסִיבִיआवेगशीलimpulzivnoimpulzívansecara impulsifhvatvíslegaimpulsivamente衝動的に충동적으로impulsyviaiimpulsīvidengan mengikut gerak hatiimpulsiefimpulsivtimpulsywnieimpulsivamenteimpulsivимпульсивноimpulzívnenagonskoimpulsivnoimpulsivtอย่างหุนหันพลันแล่นdüşüncesizce衝動地імпульсивноمتحرک ہو کرmột cách hấp tấp
n imˈpulsiveness
impulsiwiteitإنْدِفاع، تَهَوُّرимпулсивностvznětlivostimpulsivitetimpulsive Artαυθορμητισμόςimpulsividadimpulsiivsusتکانشگری؛ نیروی آنیimpulsiivisuusimpulsivitéאִימפּוּלסִיבִיוּתआवेगिताimpulzivnostlobbanékonyságsifat impulsifhvatvísiimpulsività衝動性충동적임impulsyvumasimpulsivitātesuka mengikut gerak hatiimpulsieve aardspontanitetpopędliwośćimpulsividadeimpulsivitateимпульсивностьimpulzívnosťimpulzivnostimpulsivnostimpulsivitetความหุนหันพลันแล่นdüşüncesizlik衝動імпульсивністьمتحرک ہونے کی کیفیتtính hấp tấp

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After a year or two, if the impulse within them became strong and insistent enough, they married.
He knew the prod of impulse to join in this rush away from some unthinkably catastrophic event that impended and that stirred his intuitive apprehensions of death.
MY first impulse was the reckless impulse to follow Eustace--openly through the streets.
 
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