In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the heartbeat by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck (carotid artery), on the inside of the elbow (brachial artery), at the wrist (radial artery), at the groin (femoral artery), behind the knee (popliteal artery), near the ankle joint (posterior tibial artery), and on foot (dorsalis pedis artery). Pulse (or the count of arterial pulse per minute) is equivalent to measuring the heart rate. The heart rate can also be measured by listening to the heart beat directly (auscultation), traditionally using a stethoscope and counting it for a minute. The radial pulse is commonly measured using three fingers. This has a reason; the finger closest to the heart is used to occlude the pulse pressure, the Middle finger is used get a crude estimate of the blood pressure, and the finger most distal to the heart ( usually the ring finger) is used to nullify the effect of the ulnar pulse as the two arteries are connected via the palmar arches. The study of the pulse is known as sphygmology.

A pulse in physiology, is the throbbing of arteries as an effect of heartbeat. Pulse commonly also refers to:

• Pulse (music), a rhythmic succession of sounds
• Pulse (physics), a single and abrupt emission of particles or radiation
• Pulse (signal processing), a rapid and transient change from a baseline
• Pulse (legume) a leguminous crop, often used for food for humans and livestock

Pulse! may refer to:

• Pulse! magazine, a former music magazine published by Tower Records in the United States
• Pulse! radio, a student run radio station at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom