impulse meaning and definition

IMPULSE noun

Definition of impulse (noun)

1. an instinctive motive
   • "profound religious impulses"
   • synonyms: urge
2. a sudden desire
   • "he bought it on an impulse"
   • synonyms: caprice, whim
3. the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber
   • "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"
   • synonyms: nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse
4. (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"
   • synonyms: pulsation, pulse, pulsing
5. the act of applying force suddenly
   • "the impulse knocked him over"
   • synonyms: impetus, impulsion
6. an impelling force or strength
   • "the car's momentum carried it off the road"
   • synonyms: momentum