Pulsator

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tool that creates a series of rhythmic movements for applications in mechanics or biology
2. An apparatus that triggers sequential bursts utilized in diverse scientific and medical practices
3. An instrument designed to generate repeated rhythmic motions typically used in technical or medical fields

Etymology: "Pulsator" is a direct borrowing of the Latin noun "pulsator," meaning "one who beats or strikes," built from the verb "pulsare," "to beat, push, or drive," the frequentative-type stem of "pellere," "to drive." The Latin word was used for a person who struck or drove something, and the sense of repeated beating was already present in the root before the word reached English. In modern English, "pulsator" names a device that produces a series of rapid, rhythmic pulses rather than a single stroke. Its meaning has moved from the human agent who beats to the machine that beats for us, which is a neat reversal of the original sense. The word is used as a technical term in laboratories and clinics, where the repeated impulses it generates are the whole point of the instrument.

Synonyms: oscillator, beater, throbbing device