Pulsus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rhythmic beating or throbbing, often associated with the heart's action
2. a measure of the heart rate that reflects the circulation of blood
3. an indication of vitality, often observable in medical examinations

Etymology: "Pulsus" is the Latin word for a beating or throbbing, and its most famous English descendant is the medical term for the heart's rhythm: the pulse. The Romans used it broadly for any strong knock, push or drive, from the beat of a drum to the thrust of a blow, and it came from the verb "pellere", meaning to push or drive. The Latin noun was formed from the past participle stem of that verb, so the idea of a sharp impulse lies at its core. The Romans also used it for physical blows and driving motion, and by the time of later Latin it had come to refer specifically to the throbbing of the arteries. This narrowing toward the body is what the English word "pulse" inherited, through Old French "pous" and "pouls", which came from the same Latin source. English adopted the word in the 13th or 14th century, and it has kept that sense of rhythmic beating ever since.

Synonyms: pulse, heartbeat, throb, beat, palpitation

Antonyms: stillness, pause, stop, inactivity, rest