Pulses
/ˈpʌl.siːz/noun
Edible seeds of leguminous plants, especially dried beans, lentils, and peas.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *puls*, a ritual-free but deeply old staple of porridge made from grain or meal, and the same root gave English the medical word *pulse* through the idea of beating or throbbing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“To beat, strike, or throb.”
Latin
Latin
puls
“Thick porridge or mush made from meal or grain.”
Late Latin
Latin
pulses
“Cooked grain dish; later, legumes eaten as staple food.”
Old French
Old French
puls
“Porridge; grain mash.”
Middle English
English
puls
“Pottage or thick porridge; later, leguminous seeds.”
Modern English
English
pulses
“Dried edible seeds of legumes, such as lentils, beans, and peas.”