Main Entry: im·pe·tus

Pronunciation: \ˈim-pə-təs\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin, assault, impetus, from impetere to attack, from in- + petere to go to, seek — more at feather

Date: 1641

1 a (1) : a driving force : impulse (2) : incentive, stimulus b : stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity
2 : the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion —used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion