heartbeat

[ hahrt-beet ]

noun

Physiology.

1. a pulsation of the heart, including one complete systole and diastole.

heartbeat

/ ˈhɑːtˌbiːt /

noun

1. one complete pulsation of the heart See diastole systole

Word History and Origins

Origin of heartbeat¹

First recorded in 1840–50; heart + beat

Example Sentences

For example, if your name is Jane and your heartbeat is racing, you can say to yourself, “Jane is feeling really worried right now.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Strangely, these days I use it more to determine if someone has no heartbeat rather than if they do," she tells me.

From BBC

You know she’s the central character because she’s the one who gets all the flashbacks, rendered in the customary sepia tones, each introduced by a sort of heartbeat motif on the soundtrack.

From Los Angeles Times

He swallowed his grief, took a breath and tried again, the thought of his community losing its heartbeat nearly too much to bear.

From Los Angeles Times

The panic manifested as "a tremendous sense of overwhelming dread", he says, accompanied by sudden shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat.

From BBC

Related Words

• pulse