'Impulse' definitions:

Definition of 'impulse'

From: WordNet
noun
An instinctive motive; "profound religious impulses" [syn: urge, impulse]
noun
A sudden desire; "he bought it on an impulse" [syn: caprice, impulse, whim]
noun
The electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber; "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus" [syn: nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse, impulse]
noun
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients); "the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star" [syn: pulsation, pulsing, pulse, impulse]
noun
The act of applying force suddenly; "the impulse knocked him over" [syn: impulse, impulsion, impetus]
noun
An impelling force or strength; "the car's momentum carried it off the road" [syn: momentum, impulse]

Definition of 'Impulse'

From: GCIDE
  • Impulse \Im*pulse"\, v. t. [See Impel.] To impel; to incite. [Obs.] --Pope. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Impulse'

From: GCIDE
  • Impulse \Im"pulse\, n. [L. impulsus, fr. impellere. See Impel.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. The act of impelling, or driving onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately. [1913 Webster]
  • All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse. --S. Clarke. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. The effect of an impelling force; motion produced by a sudden or momentary force. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. A mental force which simply and directly urges to action; hasty inclination; sudden motive; momentary or transient influence of appetite or passion; propension; incitement; as, a man of good impulses; passion often gives a violent impulse to the will; to buy something on impulse. [1913 Webster +PJC]
  • These were my natural impulses for the undertaking. --Dryden.
  • Syn: Force; incentive; influence; motive; feeling; incitement; instigation. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'impulse'

From: Moby Thesaurus