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Impulse vs Prevent - What's the difference?

impulse | prevent |

As a noun impulse

is .

As a verb prevent is

to stop; to keep (from happening).

impulse

English

(wikipedia impulse)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
  • * S. Clarke
    • All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse .
  • A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
    • The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.
    When I saw the new dictionary, I couldn't resist the impulse to browse through it.
  • * Dryden
    • These were my natural impulses for the undertaking.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=20 citation , passage=Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse , but it may have been a momentary one,
  • (physics) The integral of force over time.
    • The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the bullet.

    Derived terms

    * impulse buy * nerve impulse * on impulse

    Related terms

    * impel * impulsion * impulsive * impulsively * impulsiveness * impulsor * pulse

    References

    * * * [ impulse in the Online Etymology Dictionary]

    Verb

    (impuls)
  • (obsolete) To impel; to incite.
    • (Alexander Pope)
    ----

    prevent

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stop; to keep (from happening).
    • I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Tom Fordyce , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history.}}
  • * 1897 , Henry James, What Maisie Knew :
    • ‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent !’
  • (obsolete) To come before; to precede.
  • * Bible, 1 Thess. iv. 15
    • We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
    • We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.
  • * Prior
    • Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.
  • (obsolete) To outdo, surpass.
  • * 1596 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , IV.i:
    • With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.
  • (obsolete) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • their ready guilt preventing thy commands

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * preventative * prevention * preventive