pulsate

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: pul=sate

CIDE DICTIONARY

pulsate, v. i. [L. pulsatus, p. p. of pulsare to beat, strike, v. intens. fr. pellere to beat, strike, drive. See Pulse a beating, and cf. Pulse, v.].

 To throb, as a pulse; to beat, as the heart.  [1913 Webster]
"The heart of a viper or frog will continue to pulsate long after it is taken from the body."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pulsate, v.intr.
1 expand and contract rhythmically; throb.
2 vibrate, quiver, thrill.

Derivative

pulsation n. pulsator n. pulsatory adj.

Etymology

L pulsare frequent. of pellere puls- drive, beat

THESAURUS

pulsate

alternate, be here again, beat, beat a ruffle, beat a tattoo, circle, come again, come and go, come around, come round, come round again, come up again, cycle, drum, fluctuate, flutter, go pitapat, hammer, intermit, oscillate, palpitate, pant, patter, pitter-patter, pound, pulse, pump, quiver, reappear, recur, reoccur, repeat, return, reverberate, revolve, roar, roll, roll around, rotate, ruffle, sound a tattoo, splatter, splutter, sputter, throb, thrum, thud, thump, tick, ticktock, turn, undulate, vibrate, wheel, wheel around

ROGET THESAURUS

pulsate

Periodicity

VB recur in regular order, recur in regular succession, return, revolve, come again, come in its turn, come round, come round again, beat, pulsate, alternate, intermit.

Oscillation

VB oscillate, vibrate, librate, alternate, undulate, wave, rock, swing, pulsate, beat, wag, waggle, nod, bob, courtesy, curtsy, tick, play, wamble, wabble, dangle, swag, fluctuate, dance, curvet, reel, quake, quiver, quaver, shake, flicker, wriggle, roll, toss, pitch, flounder, stagger, totter, move up and down, bob up and down, pass and repass, ebb and flow, come and go, vacillate, teeter, brandish, shake, flourish.

Agitation

VB be agitated, shake, tremble, tremble like an aspen leaf, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire, writhe, toss, shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway, wag, waggle, wriggle, wriggle like an eel, dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort, squirm, throb, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat, flutter, flitter, flicker, bicker, bustle, ferment, effervesce, foam, boil, boil over, bubble up, simmer, toss about, jump about, jump like a parched pea, shake like an aspen leaf, shake to its center, shake to its foundations, be the sport of the winds and waves, reel to and fro like a drunken man, move from post to pillar and from pillar to post, drive from post to pillar and from pillar to post, keep between hawk and buzzard, agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt, jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.