impulse

Meanings

Noun

• A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
• A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
• The integral of force over time.

Verb

• To impel; to incite.

Origin

• 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.