impulse

noun

An impelling force; an impetus.

noun

The motion produced by such a force.

noun

A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination.

noun

A motivating force or tendency.

noun

A surge of electrical power in one direction.

noun

The product obtained by multiplying the average value of a force by the time during which it acts. The impulse equals the change in momentum produced by the force in this time interval.

noun

The electrochemical transmission of a signal along a nerve fiber that produces an excitatory or inhibitory response at a target tissue, such as a muscle or another nerve.

adjective

Characterized by impulsiveness or acting on impulse.

To give an impulse to; incite; instigate.