impulse

Noun
  1. An instinctive motive (synset 109203328)
    "profound religious impulses"
    is a type of: motivation, motive, need - the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
    subtypes:
    same as: urge
  2. A sudden desire (synset 107505719)
    "he bought it on an impulse"
    is a type of: desire - the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
    same as: caprice, whim
  3. The electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber (synset 107322660)
    "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"
    is a type of: electrical discharge - a discharge of electricity
    subtypes: action potential - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted
    same as: nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse
  4. (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients) (synset 107435591)
    "the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star"
    referred to in: electronics - the branch of physics that deals with the emission and effects of electrons and with the use of electronic devices
    is a type of: undulation, wave - (physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
    same as: pulsation, pulse, pulsing
  5. The act of applying force suddenly (synset 100105069)
    "the impulse knocked him over"
    is a type of: drive, driving force, thrust - the act of applying force to propel something
    same as: impetus, impulsion
  6. An impelling force or strength (synset 105042975)
    "the car's momentum carried it off the road"
    is a type of: force, forcefulness, strength - physical energy or intensity
    same as: momentum

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