impulse

(ĭm′pŭls″ )

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[L. impulsus, outward pressure, shock]

1. The act of driving onward with sudden force.
SEE: conation
2. An incitement of the mind, prompting an unpremeditated act, e.g., impulse buying.
3. In physiology, a change transmitted through certain tissues, esp. nerve fibers and muscles, resulting in physiological activity or inhibition.

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