From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpulsepulse1 /pʌls/ ●○○ noun 1 heart [countable usually singular]HBH the regular beat that can be felt, for example at your wrist, as your heart pumps blood around your body → heartbeat His breathing was shallow and his pulse was weak.take somebody’s pulse (=count the beats of their pulse, usually by feeling their wrist)check/feel somebody's pulse The doctor listened to his breathing and checked his pulse.find a pulse (=be able to feel a pulse, which shows that someone is alive) I held his wrist, trying to find a pulse. She felt his neck. There was no pulse.pulse rate (=the number of beats that can be felt in a minute) If your pulse rate is between 90 and 100, it is likely that you are unfit. Her pulse raced (=beat very quickly) with excitement.2 music [countable, uncountable]CSOUND a strong regular beat in music the distant pulse of a steel band3 sound/light/electricity [countable]TEE an amount of sound, light, or electricity that continues for a very short time4 feelings/opinions [uncountable] the ideas, feelings, or opinions that are most important to a particular group of people or have the greatest influence on them at a particular time Clinton had an uncanny ability to sense the pulse of the nation.5 → pulses → have/keep your finger on the pulse at finger1(6)COLLOCATIONSverbstake somebody's pulse (=count the beats of their pulse)Remember to take your pulse at intervals while you are exercising.check/feel somebody's pulseThe nurse left the room after checking the girl's pulse.feel for a pulse (=try to find and check someone's pulse)I felt for a pulse, but I couldn't find one.find a pulse (=be able to feel a pulse, which shows that someone is alive)To her relief, she found a pulse.somebody's pulse beatsHis pulse began to beat with a fierce rhythm.somebody's pulse races (=beats very quickly)His long fingers brushed hers, sending her pulse racing.somebody's pulse quickens (=starts to beat faster)He heard a footfall in the passage outside and felt his pulse quicken.adjectivesweak/faintThe boy's pulse was very weak.strongHe's breathing better. The pulse is stronger too.rapid/fastSymptoms include a rapid pulse and dry skin.slowHer pulse was slow but steady.normalA normal pulse is between 70 and 90 beats a minute.pulse + NOUNpulse rate (=how fast your pulse beats)The doctor checked my weight and pulse rate.pulse beatThe rhythm was steady, as regular as a pulse beat.
Examples from the Corpus
pulse• But physicists believe a pulse of light-a group of massless waves-can.• Same with the second beam pulse - the one behind the first.• An electrical pulse sends the atom to the tip of the microscope needle.• The masters of noir are obvious influences on Nova; his prose races with a fast pulse.• Stock brokers with a feel for Hong Kong's financial pulse were worried.• Gingerly, Jack took his stepfather's wrist and felt the light fluttering of his pulse.• The man on the ground had no pulse.• The spectrum during this fraction 0.35 of the pulse period can be fitted with a power law with in MeV.• the pulse of steel drums in the parks• Take your pulse in the same way that you calculated your resting pulse rate earlier.• Then up again, all in oxygen so thin that your pulse rate is 50 percent higher.find a pulse• If you can not find a pulse, you must begin chest compression, also known as heart massage.• Practise on your own child since it is often difficult to find a pulse in an emergency.• He pulled the heavy leather of her flying jacket from her arm and tried to find a pulse.• Doctors had been unable to find a pulse as they hurried to their next Medicash-insured mugging victim.pulsepulse2 verb 1 [intransitive]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move or flow with a steady quick beat or sound She felt the blood pulsing through her veins. Colored lights pulsed in time to the music.2 [intransitive]EMOTIONAL if a feeling or emotion pulses through someone, they feel it very stronglypulse through Excitement pulsed through the crowd.3 [intransitive, transitive] to push a button on a food processor to make the machine go on and off regularly, rather than work continuously Pulse several times until the mixture looks like oatmeal.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
pulse• But on the biosensor display the languidly pulsing curves had begun to change their tempo.• He was paralysed with the pain of the wound which pulsed in time to his heartbeat.• I could feel the pulsing of veins that usually precedes entry into a forbidden, private realm.• The foundation organized thousands of town meetings around the country to pulse people on public policy issues and possible solutions.• Closing his eyes momentarily, he felt a rush of ecstasy pulsing through his body.• Meredith's mouth felt dry from the waves of sheer sensuality pulsing towards her.• Often you can feel the brake pedal pulsing when the ABS system is operating.Origin pulse1 1. (1300-1400) Old French pouls, from Latin pulsus “beating”, past participle of pellere “to hit”2. (1200-1300) Old French pouls “porridge”, from Latin puls 