pulsate

English

WOTD – 8 March 2009

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pulsātus, from pulsō (“I strike repeatedly”), from pellō (“I strike”). Doublet of push.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pʌlˈseɪt/, (obsolete) /ˈpʌl.seɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌl.seɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: (UK) -eɪt

Verb

pulsate (third-person singular simple present pulsates, present participle pulsating, simple past and past participle pulsated)

1. To expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat.
2. To quiver, vibrate, or flash; as to the beat of music.

   The party pulsated with revellers.

3. To produce a recurring increase and decrease of some quantity.

Derived terms

• pulsatile
• pulsation
• pulsator
• pulsatory

Related terms

• pulsar

Translations

to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat

• Armenian: բաբախել (hy) (babaxel), զարկել (hy) (zarkel)
• Bulgarian: пулсирам (bg) (pulsiram), туптя (bg) (tuptja)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 脈動 / 脉动 (mak⁶ dong⁶), （有規律地）跳動 / （有规律地）跳动 (tiu³ dong⁶)

• Czech: pulzovat
• Finnish: sykkiä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: σφύζω (sphúzō), σκαρίζω (skarízō)

• Irish: frithbhuail
• Italian: pulsare (it)
• Polish: pulsować (pl) impf, tętnić impf
• Portuguese: pulsar (pt)
• Romanian: pulsa (ro)
• Russian: пульси́ровать (ru) (pulʹsírovatʹ), би́ться (ru) (bítʹsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: plosg
• Spanish: latir (es)
• Swedish: pulsera (sv)
• Tocharian B: särp-
• Ukrainian: пульсува́ти impf (pulʹsuváty)

to quiver, vibrate, thrill

• Bulgarian: вибрирам (bg) (vibriram)
• Czech: pulzovat
• Finnish: väristä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Russian: вибри́ровать (ru) (vibrírovatʹ), дрожа́ть (ru) (drožátʹ)

to produce a recurring increase and decrease

• Czech: oscilovat
• Finnish: sykkiä (fi)
• German: pulsieren (de)
• Ukrainian: пульсува́ти impf (pulʹsuváty)

Anagrams

• puteals, septula, spatule, upsteal

Ido

Verb

pulsate

1. adverbial present passive participle of pulsar

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

pulsate

1. inflection of pulsare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

pulsate f pl

1. feminine plural of pulsato

Anagrams

• spulate, stapule

Latin

Verb

pulsāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of pulsō

Spanish

Verb

pulsate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of pulsar combined with te