What does pulsator mean?
A pulsator is a noun for a device or mechanism that produces, emits, or transmits rhythmic pulses. In technical descriptions, it is often a component that repeatedly interrupts or releases an electrical signal, allowing a system to receive a regular series of impulses rather than one continuous current. The term is uncommon in ordinary speech and appears mainly in technical, scientific, and historical writing about electrical and electromechanical equipment. Its precise application depends on context, so the word does not necessarily designate one particular component; it more generally identifies something that performs the function of pulsing. Pulsator is related to pulse and pulsate, and its spelling may prompt confusion with pulsar, a very different astronomical object. Although unnecessary for most everyday vocabulary, it can be useful when reading specifications, technical histories, or accounts of apparatus in which the pulsing mechanism is significant.
nounA device or mechanism that produces rhythmic pulses, especially one that interrupts or releases an electrical signal at regular intervals.
- A device or mechanism that produces rhythmic pulses or regularly interrupts an electrical signal.
"Each pulsator released a short burst of current at regular intervals."
"Each pulsator in the array released a precisely timed burst of energy."
"The technician replaced the worn contact in the pulsator, restoring the regular clicking of the bell."
The plural is used when referring to more than one pulsing device or mechanism.
"The two pulsators were adjusted to maintain a consistent interval."
From the beating of the Latin pulse to the ticking of an electrical device: a pulsator is essentially a mechanism that makes repetition rhythmic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pulsator come from?
English pulsator comes from the Latin noun pulsator, meaning one that beats, throbs, or pulses. This was formed from pulsāre, “to beat” or “pulse,” with an agent suffix, ultimately referring to a mechanism that makes or interrupts rhythmic beats. Its close English relatives include pulse, pulsate, and pulsatile, all of which express the same underlying idea of regular beating or throbbing.
Related word forms
How pulsator is actually used
This is a rare noun, chiefly used in technical, scientific, and historical descriptions of electrical or electromechanical equipment rather than in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with pulsator
A pulsator is a device that produces pulses, whereas a pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits periodic pulses of electromagnetic radiation.