pulse

pulse — noun

1. the regular movement that you can feel in your wrist or neck each time your hear

1.nounB1
Definition

the regular movement that you can feel in your wrist or neck each time your heart pushes blood through your body

Example

The nurse held Rohan's wrist and counted his pulse for fifteen seconds.

take/feel + pulse for measuring heart rate

After climbing three flights of stairs, Lara's pulse was racing.

pulse + verb for speed of heartbeat

Common collocations
  • count a pulse
  • feel a pulse
  • find a pulse
  • check a pulse
  • take a pulse
  • racing pulse
  • weak pulse
  • steady pulse
  • resting pulse
Synonyms
  • heartbeat

    more general term for the heart's action; pulse specifically refers to the felt throb

  • throb

    describes the sensation of pulsing, often pain-related (e.g., headache)

Grammar Patterns

sb's pulse

take/feel/check + pulse

Usage Note

Frequently used with possessive adjectives (my, his, her) or the definite article: 'the patient's pulse'. The phrase 'take/feel someone's pulse' is a common fixed expression.

Common Mistakes

My pulse is 130 over 80.
My blood pressure is 130 over 80. My pulse is 75 beats per minute.
Pulse measures heart rate, not blood pressure.
Check his pulses.
Check his pulse.
Pulse is usually uncountable in this sense (the rate, not individual beats).

2. the act of pressing gently on someone's wrist or neck to feel how many times the

2.nounB2
Definition

the act of pressing gently on someone's wrist or neck to feel how many times their heart beats in a minute, usually done by a doctor or nurse

Example

The doctor took Christopher's pulse before asking him to open his mouth.

take + pulse as a medical check

Mira learned how to check a pulse by placing two fingers on the inside of her classmate's wrist.

check + pulse as a learned skill

Common collocations
  • take a pulse
  • check a pulse
  • find a pulse
  • lost pulse

Grammar Patterns

take + sb's + pulse

check + pulse

Usage Note

This sense almost always appears in the fixed expressions 'take someone's pulse' or 'check someone's pulse'. The noun is never used alone with this meaning.

Common Mistakes

I did a pulse on the patient.
I took the patient's pulse.
The correct verb is 'take' or 'check', not 'do'.

3. a very brief, repeated burst of energy that follows a repeating pattern — for ex

3.nounB2
Definition

a very brief, repeated burst of energy that follows a repeating pattern — for example, a quick flash of light, a short loud tone, or a momentary flow of electric current

Example

The lighthouse sent out a pulse of light every five seconds to guide ships.

pulse + of + light / sound / energy

Each pulse from the radar scanner lasts only a few millionths of a second.

Common collocations
  • pulse of light
  • pulse of sound
  • pulse of electricity
  • send a pulse
  • short pulse
  • regular pulse
  • laser pulse
Synonyms
  • burst

    less technical; can refer to any sudden release, not necessarily repeated

  • wave

    broader; a pulse is a type of wave, but not all waves are pulses

Grammar Patterns

pulse + of + noun (light/sound/energy)

Usage Note

Common in scientific and technical contexts (physics, electronics, medicine). The plural 'pulses' is used when referring to a series of such bursts.

Common Mistakes

The light pulse was one meter long.' (measuring duration as length)
The light pulse lasted one millisecond.
Pulse duration is measured in time units, not distance.

4. a kitchen machine setting that makes the blade spin in very short starts and sto

4.nounB2
Definition

a kitchen machine setting that makes the blade spin in very short starts and stops so that food gets chopped or mixed without being turned into a paste

Example

Use the pulse setting to chop the nuts so they stay crunchy, not powdery.

use/use the pulse setting on a food processor

Heather pressed the pulse button three times to break the biscuits into small pieces for the cheesecake base.

Common collocations
  • pulse setting
  • pulse button
  • use pulse
  • short pulses
  • give a pulse
  • a few pulses
Synonyms
  • burst mode

    also used for blenders and food processors, but less common

Grammar Patterns

use + pulse

pulse + setting/button

Usage Note

This sense is specific to kitchen appliances (food processors, blenders). It describes a feature, not the rate of a heartbeat.

Common Mistakes

Pulse the blender for three minutes.
Use short pulses for about thirty seconds, stopping between each burst.
Pulse means very short on/off bursts, not continuous running.

5. the dry seeds of legume plants such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils, whic

5.nounB2
Definition

the dry seeds of legume plants such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils, which people soak and cook to make meals

Example

Pulses like lentils and chickpeas are a cheap source of protein for many families.

pulses as food category — lentils, chickpeas, beans

The nutritionist told Eve that eating more pulses could lower her cholesterol.

Common collocations
  • dried pulses
  • soak pulses
  • cook pulses
  • eat pulses
  • pulses and grains
  • nutritious pulses
Synonyms
  • legumes

    broader term that includes fresh peas and pods, not just dried seeds

Grammar Patterns

pulses as food category

Usage Note

This is a technical or agricultural category. In everyday conversation, people tend to name specific types (beans, lentils) rather than saying 'pulses'.

Common Mistakes

I ate pulses for breakfast.' (odd without context)
I had lentils and beans for breakfast. Pulses are a good source of protein.
The word works best when naming the category after giving examples.
Idioms

have / keep your finger on the pulse

idiom

to stay informed about the newest changes, ideas, or trends in a particular area

A good editor keeps her finger on the pulse of what young readers want.

Rohan stays in touch with local artists so he can keep his finger on the pulse of the city's music scene.

have/keep your finger on the pulse (of something)

idiom

To always know the newest changes or trends in a specific area.

Sara keeps her finger on the pulse of fashion by reading blogs daily.

Does your team have its finger on the pulse of customer needs?

pulse — verb

Word family

  • pulsate
    verbC1
  • pulsation
    nounC1
  • pulsing
    adjectiveB2
  • pulsed
    adjectiveC1
  • pulseless
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe a regular rhythmic motion, but they differ in scope and typical context. 'Pulse' (the most common) specifically refers to the throbbing of arteries caused by the heart pumping blood; it is both a measurable rate and a felt sensation. 'Heartbeat' is the broader, everyday word for the heart's action itself — you can hear a heartbeat with a stethoscope, whereas pulse is what you feel at your wrist. 'Throb' describes the sensation of pulsing, often with a connotation of pain or discomfort: a headache throbs, a wound throbs. In medical contexts use 'pulse' for the rate and 'heartbeat' for the organ's activity; in descriptive writing, 'throb' adds a sensory, often unpleasant tone. For example: 'The nurse took my pulse and said my heartbeat sounded normal.' vs. 'His finger was swollen and throbbing after the bee sting.'

pulse ↗heartbeat ↗throb

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • finger on the pulse
  • take the pulse of
  • pulse with life

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'pulse' comes from the Latin 'pulsus', which means 'a beating' or 'a striking'. This noun came from the Latin verb 'pellere', meaning 'to beat, to drive, or to push'. The word travelled into English through Old French 'puls' and Middle English, keeping its core idea of rhythmic beating. The food sense (edible seeds like beans and lentils) has a separate origin — it comes from the Latin 'puls' or 'pultis', meaning 'a thick porridge or mush made from grains or legumes'. These two meanings (heartbeat and food) have different roots but ended up sounding the same in modern English.