ˈhɑːtˌbiːt ˈhɑɹtˌbit ˈɪmpʌls pʌlˈseɪʃn̩ pəlˈseɪʃən ˈpʌlsɪŋ the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart he could feel the beat of her heart (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients) the pulsations seemed to be coming from a star a periodically recurring phenomenon that alternately increases and decreases some quantity