pulsativ

Pulsativ is an adjective used in several European languages, including Norwegian and Swedish, to denote something that involves or resembles a pulse or pulsation. The word derives from the root pulse with the suffix -ativ, akin to the English -ative, and ultimately from Latin pulsus meaning "beating."

In science and medicine, pulsativ describes phenomena that occur in discrete bursts rather than as a constant flow. Examples include pulsatile blood flow in arteries, pulsatile drug delivery, and signals that vary periodically in amplitude.

In engineering and physics, pulsativ describes systems driven by periodic forces or producing bursts of energy, such as pulsatile pressure in hydraulics, or pulsed laser and other modulated sources in optics.

In music and arts, pulsativ can be used to describe music or performances with a strong, regular rhythmic pulse, or to characterize textures where the beat dominates over sustained tones.

In English-language literature, pulsativ is less common; more precise terms such as pulsatile, pulsed, pulsation, or pulsatile flow are usually preferred, while pulsativ appears in some European-language works as a direct loan or calque.

See also: pulsatile, pulse, pulsation, pulsed.