IMPULSE

I. transitive verb (~d; impulsing) Date: 1611 to give an ~ to, II. noun Etymology: Latin impulsus, from impellere to impel Date: 1647 1. inspiration , motivation , a force so communicated as to produce motion suddenly, incentive , 2. the act of driving onward with sudden force ; impulsion , motion produced by such an impulsion ; impetus , a wave of excitation transmitted through tissues and especially nerve fibers and muscles that results in physiological activity or inhibition, 3. a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action, a propensity or natural tendency usually other than rational, 4. the product of the average value of a force and the time during which it acts ; the change in momentum produced by the force, pulse 4a, see: motive