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heartbeat

heartbeat

123 2.3
The regular movement or sound of the heart as it pumps blood
  • noun
  • /ˈhɑrtˌbiːt/
translation icon : latido
  • During the ultrasound, the doctor confirmed that the baby's heartbeat was strong and healthy.
  • irregular heartbeat
  • heartbeat rate
  • heartbeat and blood pressure

And she said your baby's heartbeat is very low.

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Examples

Synonyms

pulse
vsheartbeat
632 2.3

The regular beat you feel in your wrist or neck from the heart

is the organ's regular movement or sound rather than only arterial throbbing
heart rhythm
vsheartbeat
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A regular pattern of beats the heart makes when it pumps blood

focuses on the movement or sound felt in arteries rather than internal pattern
pulsation
vsheartbeat
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A regular strong beat you feel in your wrist or neck when the heart beats

is the organ's regular movement or sound rather than general vessel vibration
cardiac rhythm
vsheartbeat
  • Specialized
1 3.7

The pattern of heartbeats made by the heart's activity

refers more to the movement or sound felt in arteries than control signals
pulsebeat
vsheartbeat
3.2

A regular throbbing in an artery when the heart pumps blood

is the internal movement or sound felt in arteries rather than outward throbbing

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

38 3.5

A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm

Idioms

in a heartbeat
  • Informal
50 3.2

Right away without any hesitation

Compounds

4.1

An uneven beating of the heart that is not steady

How Fast

tachycardia
  • Specialized
10 7.2
palpitation
17 7.5
heartbeat
123 2.3
bradycardia
  • Specialized
3 7.8

Surface Forms

heartbeat singular
heartbeats plural

Morphology

heartbeat = heart + beat (transparent) = heart + beat

The compound directly names the physical pulse ('heart' + 'beat'), which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Heartbeat comes from the two simple words heart and beat, where beat means 'a regular strike or sound'. Picture your chest like a drum and the heart giving a steady 'beat', which is why heartbeat is the regular movement or sound of the heart as it pumps blood.