impulse

Definition

A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

Example Sentences

• "c. 1715-1716, Samuel Clarke, letter to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse."
• "The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day."
• "When I saw the new book, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it."

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