impulses

1. an instinctive motiveExamples: "profound religious impulses"Synonyms: impulse, urge

2. a sudden desireExamples: "he bought it on an impulse"Synonyms: caprice, impulse, whim

3. the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiberExamples: "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"Synonyms: impulse, nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse

4. (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)Examples: "the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star"Synonyms: impulse, pulsation, pulse, pulsing

5. the act of applying force suddenlyExamples: "the impulse knocked him over"Synonyms: impetus, impulse, impulsion

6. an impelling force or strengthExamples: "the car's momentum carried it off the road"Synonyms: impulse, momentum