heart beat

Noun

heartbeat (plural heartbeats)

1. One pulsation of the heart; especially an irregular one, hence the emotion which causes it.
   • The policeman waited for a heartbeat in vain.
2. The rhythm at which a heart pulsates, a cardiac indicator.
   • If your heartbeat doesn't normalize soon, consult a doctor!

   Synonyms:

   pulse

3. A driving impulse or vital force; the vital center of something.
   • Music is the heartbeat of the people.
4. A very short space of time; an instant.
   • The ambulance arrived in a heartbeat.
5. A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal operation or to synchronize other parts of a system.