impulsion

See also: impulsión

English

Etymology

From Middle English impulsioun, from Old French impulsion, from Latin impulsio, impulsionem.

Pronunciation

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Noun

impulsion (countable and uncountable, plural impulsions)

1. The act of impelling or driving onward, or the state of being impelled; the sudden or momentary agency of a body in motion on another body; also, the impelling force, or impulse.
   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     I wrought like a fiend, for I expected every moment to be swamped; and since I found I could not push the coracle directly off, I now shoved straight astern. At length I was clear of my dangerous neighbour, and just as I gave the last impulsion, my hands came across a light cord that was trailing overboard across the stern bulwarks.

2. Influence acting unexpectedly or temporarily on the mind; sudden motive or influence; impulse.
   • 1581, Peter Martyr, edited by John Marbeck, A Booke of Notes and Common places, with their expostitions, collected and gathered out of the workes of divers singular Writers and brought Alphabetically into order, Thomas East, page 410:

     Farther, Chrisostome upon this place saith, that Paule when he thus writeth, doth in no wise denie the nature of the flesh, but exalteth it to a more higher dignitie, namelie, that it should rather obaie the impulsion of the spirite, than lust.

   • 2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 369:

     Once they sit to talk, the Pilgrims lose the impulsion that has brought them so far, their confidence in their own crude strength.

Related terms

• impulse
• impulsive
• impulsor

References

• “impulsion”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “impulsion”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin impulsiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.pyl.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

impulsion f (plural impulsions)

1. impulse
2. impulsion, drive, impetus
3. (physics) electric pulse, momentum

Derived terms

• arme à impulsion électrique
• pistolet à impulsion électrique

Further reading

• “impulsion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.