Definition

1. Noun:
   • A rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat that is consciously felt by the person experiencing it. This sensation is often described as the heart pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly.
   • A shaky or trembling motion. This meaning is less common and refers to a visible or perceptible shaking, often of the hands or body.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Heartbeat):
  • She felt a sudden palpitation and had to sit down. (She became aware of her heart beating unusually fast and strongly.)
  • Anxiety can often cause heart palpitations. (Feelings of anxiety can frequently lead to the sensation of a rapid or irregular heartbeat.)
• Noun (Shaky Motion):
  • The palpitation of his hands made it difficult to write. (The visible trembling of his hands created a challenge for writing.)

Advanced Usage

• "To have palpitations": This is a common collocation meaning to experience the sensation of a rapid or irregular heartbeat, often due to excitement, fear, or a medical condition.
  • The scary movie gave me palpitations. (The frightening film caused me to feel my heart pounding.)
• Medical Context: In clinical terms, "palpitation" refers to the subjective awareness of one's own heartbeat, which can be a symptom of various conditions, from benign stress to cardiac arrhythmias.

Variants and Related Words

• Palpitate (verb): To beat rapidly, strongly, or irregularly. Used primarily for the heart.
  • His heart began to palpitate with fear.
• Palpable (adjective): So intense as to be almost able to be touched or felt physically. (Note: This shares a Latin root with "palpitation" but has a broader meaning of being tangible or obvious.)
  • The tension in the room was palpable.

Synonyms

• Pounding (of the heart): A heavy, throbbing beat.
• Fluttering (of the heart): A light, rapid, and irregular beat.
• Throbbing: A strong, rhythmic pulsation.
• Tremor: A slight shaking movement (for the "shaky motion" sense).

Related Phrases

• Heart palpitations: The most frequent phrase, specifying the type of palpitation.
  • The doctor asked if she had a history of heart palpitations.
• Suffer from palpitations: To be affected by them regularly or as a condition.
  • He suffers from palpitations when he drinks too much coffee.

Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "palpitation." The sensation is typically described directly in phrases like "my heart skipped a beat" or "my heart was in my throat," which convey similar feelings of sudden excitement or fear.

Noun

1. a shaky motion
   • the shaking of his fingers as he lit his pipe
2. a rapid and irregular heart beat