heartbeat

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(1) A periodic signal generated by hardware for activation and/or synchronization purposes. See MHz.

(2) A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate that it is still running.

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1. The signal emitted by a Level 2 Ethernet transceiver at the end of every packet to show that the collision-detection circuit is still connected.

2. A periodic synchronization signal used by software or hardware, such as a bus clock or a periodic interrupt.

3. The ‘natural’ oscillation frequency of a computer's clock crystal, before frequency division down to the machine's clock rate.

4. A signal emitted at regular intervals by software to demonstrate that it is still alive. Sometimes hardware is designed to reboot the machine if it stops hearing a heartbeat. See also breath-of-life packet.

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The events of a single cardiac cycle.

The cycle of contraction of the heart muscle, during which the chambers of the heart contract. The beat begins with a rhythmic impulse in the sinoatrial node, which serves as a pacemaker for the heart. See also heart.

For a list of words related to heartbeat, see:

• Heart and Circulatory and Lymphatic Systems - heartbeat: pulsation of heart, including one complete systole and diastole

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See words rhyming with "heartbeat."

Dansk (Danish)
n. - hjerteslag, hjertebanken

Nederlands (Dutch)
hartslag, emotie

Français (French)
n. - battement de c¯ur, pulsation cardiaque, battements de c¯ur, pulsations de c¯ur, rhytme cardiaque

Deutsch (German)
n. - Herzschlag

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - χτύπος καρδιάς, παλμός, καρδιοχτύπι

Italiano (Italian)
battito cardiaco, batticuore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - batida (f) do coração

Русский (Russian)
пульсация сердца, волнение

Español (Spanish)
n. - latido del corazón

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hjärtslag

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
心跳

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 心跳

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 심장의 고동, 정서

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 心臓の鼓動

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ضربه القلب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פעימת-הלב, דופק‬

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