Pulse
/pʌls/noun
A rhythmic expansion and contraction of an artery, usually felt at points where an artery is close to the surface of the skin.
Did you know?The Latin root 'pulsare', meaning 'to beat', connects pulse not just to life, but to the very rhythms of the universe and ancient rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to drive, to push, to beat.”
Latin
Latin
pulsare
“to beat, to throb, to push.”
Old French
Old French
pulse
“beat, throb, rhythm.”
Middle English
Middle English
puls
“a beat, a throbbing.”
Modern English
English
pulse
“the rhythmic beating of the heart or arteries.”