- 1[countable, uncountable] the movement or sound of the heart as it sends blood around the body a rapid/regular heartbeat She was suddenly aware of her racing heartbeat. The first track on the album begins with the sound of a heartbeat. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivesteady, irregular, racing, … verb + heartbeatmonitor, feel, hear, … heartbeat + verbquicken phrasesthe sound of a heartbeat See full entry
- 2[singular] the heartbeat of something (North American English) an important feature of something, that is responsible for making it what it is The candidate said that he understood the heartbeat of the Hispanic community in California. Idioms
very close to something Her game is just a heartbeat away from perfection.
very quickly, without thinking about it If I was offered another job, I'd leave in a heartbeat.
Check pronunciation: heartbeat
