Definition of "heartbeat" in English

noun

1. One pulsation of the heart; especially an irregular one, hence the emotion which causes it.

   • The policeman waited for a heartbeat in vain.
   • He alone gives me such heartbeats.

2. The rhythm at which a heart pulsates, a cardiac indicator.

   • If your heartbeat doesn't normalize soon, consult a doctor!

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. (computing) A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal operation or to synchronize other parts of a system.