Pulsative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a rhythm that is regular and rhythmic in nature, this term pertains to occurrences or forces that manifest in bursts or cycles
2. Having qualities that involve periodic bursts or beat-like intervals
3. Describing something marked by repeated, wave-like contractions or emissions

Etymology: "Pulsative" comes from Middle French "pulsatif," which in turn descends from the Late Latin "pulsativus," a formation built on "pulsare," meaning "to beat, push, or drive." That Latin verb is the frequentative-style root behind "pulse," so the word carries the same beating motion that gave English its word for a heartbeat. The sense of rhythmic bursts or cycles grows naturally out of that physical root. Something pulsative is one that beats, throbs, or pushes in repeated thrusts rather than flowing steadily. The Latin "-ivus" ending, common in adjectives of tendency or function, marks the word as describing a quality of such beating.

Synonyms: pulsing