heartbeat

heartbeat in WordNet English dictionary

noun

the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart
"he could feel the beat of her heart"
pulse pulsation heartbeat beat
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
"if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"
blink of an eye flash heartbeat instant jiffy split second trice twinkling wink New York minute
an animating or vital unifying force
"New York is the commercial heartbeat of America"
heartbeat

(noun) One pulsation of the heart; especially an irregular one, hence the emotion which causes it.
(noun) The rhythm at which a heart pulsates, a cardiac indicator
(noun) A driving impulse or vital force.
(noun) A very short space of time; an instant.
(noun) (computing) A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal operation or to synchronize other parts of a system.

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