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Webster 1913 Edition


Impulse

Im′pulse

,
Noun.
[L.
impulsus
, fr.
impellere
. See
Impel
.]
1.
The act of impelling, or driving onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately.
All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical
impulse
.
S. Clarke.
2.
The effect of an impelling force; motion produced by a sudden or momentary force.
3.
(Mech.)
The action of a force during a very small interval of time; the effect of such action;
as, the
impulse
of a sudden blow upon a hard elastic body
.
Syn. – Force; incentive; influence; motive; feeling; incitement; instigation.

Im-pulse′

,
Verb.
T.
[See
Impel
.]
To impel; to incite.
[Obs.]
Pope.

Webster 1828 Edition


Impulse

IM'PULSE

,
Noun.
im'puls. [L. impulsus, from impello. See Impel.]
1.
Force communicated; the effect of one body acting on another. Impulse is the effect of motion, and is in proportion to the quantity of matter and velocity of the impelling body.
2.
Influence acting on the mind; motive.
These were my natural impulses for the undertaking.
3.
Impression; supposed supernatural influence on the mind.
Meantime, by Jove's impulse, Mezentius armed,
Succeeded Turnus--

Definition 2024


Impulse

Impulse

See also: impulse and impulsé

German

Noun

Impulse

  1. plural of Impuls

impulse

impulse

See also: impulsé and Impulse

English

Noun

impulse (plural impulses)

  1. A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
    • S. Clarke
      All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse.
  2. A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
    The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.
    When I saw the new dictionary, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.
    • Dryden
      These were my natural impulses for the undertaking.
    • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict:
      Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, [] .”
  3. (physics) The integral of force over time.
    The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the bullet.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

Verb

impulse (third-person singular simple present impulses, present participle impulsing, simple past and past participle impulsed)

  1. (obsolete) To impel; to incite.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Alexander Pope to this entry?)

French

Pronunciation

Verb

impulse

  1. first-person singular present indicative of impulser
  2. third-person singular present indicative of impulser
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of impulser
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of impulser
  5. second-person singular imperative of impulser

Italian

Verb

impulse

  1. third-person singular past historic of impellere

Latin

Participle

impulse

  1. vocative masculine singular of impulsus

Spanish

Noun

impulse m (plural impulses)

  1. push, shove

Verb

impulse

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of impulsar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of impulsar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of impulsar.