heartbeat

heart·beat

noun \ˈhärt-ˌbēt\

Definition of HEARTBEAT

1

: one complete pulsation of the heart

2

: the vital center or driving impulse

3

: a brief space of time : flash —used chiefly in the phrase in a heartbeat

Examples of HEARTBEAT

1. The patient had a rapid heartbeat.
2. <I'd accept a job offer from that company in a heartbeat.>

First Known Use of HEARTBEAT

1850

Related to HEARTBEAT

Synonyms

beat, eyeblink, flash, instant, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, shake, split second, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink

Related Words

microsecond; snatch, spurt

Near Antonyms

aeon (or eon), age, eternity, forever; infinity, lifetime

Rhymes with HEARTBEAT

accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, entreat, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat

heart·beat

noun \ˈhärt-ˌbēt\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of HEARTBEAT

: one complete pulsation of the heart