impulse (redirected from on an impulse)

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.

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

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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]

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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.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	impulse - an instinctive motive; "profound religious impulses" urge 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" caprice, whim 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" nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse electrical discharge - a discharge of electricity action potential - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted
	4.	impulse - (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" pulsation, pulse, pulsing 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" impetus, impulsion 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" momentum 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"

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impulse

noun 1. urge, longing, desire, drive, wish, fancy, notion, yen (informal) instinct, yearning, inclination, itch, whim, compulsion, caprice

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] n → impulso;

to act on impulse → actuar sin reflexionar, dejarse llevar por el impulso

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impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] n → impulsion f;

on impulse → impulsivement, sur un coup de tête

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impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] n → Impuls m;

(urge) → Drang m;

to act on impulse → aus einem Impuls heraus handeln

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impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] n → impulso;

to act on impulse → agire d'impulso or impulsivamente