Noun: heartbeat 'haa(r)t,beet
- The rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart
"The doctor listened carefully to the patient's heartbeat";
- pulse, pulsation, beat
- A very short time
"if I had the chance I'd do it in a heartbeat";
- blink of an eye [informal], flash, instant, jiffy [informal], split second, trice, twinkling [informal], wink [informal], New York minute [US, informal], jiff [informal]
- An animating or vital unifying force
"New York is the commercial heartbeat of America"
Derived forms: heartbeats
Type of: bit, force, minute, mo, moment, periodic event, recurrent event, second
Encyclopedia: Heartbeat, It's a Lovebeat