Throbbing or beating in a regular rhythm, like a heartbeat or the movement of blood through arteries.
From Latin 'pulsus' (a beating or throbbing), from 'pellere' (to drive or push). The word captures the idea of something being pushed in waves.
A pulse isn't just your heartbeat—it's one of the most direct ways to measure if someone is alive, which is why checking a pulse has been a survival instinct for thousands of years across all cultures!
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