pulsation n.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to thrust, strike, drive."

It forms all or part of: anvil; appeal; catapult; compel; dispel; expel; felt (n.) "unwoven fabric matted together by rolling or beating;" filter; filtrate; impel; impulse; interpellation; interpolate; peal; pelt (v.) "to strike (with something);" polish; propel; pulsate; pulsation; pulse (n.1) "a throb, a beat;" push; rappel; repeal; repel; repousse.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek pallein "to wield, brandish, swing," pelemizein "to shake, cause to tremble;" Latin pellere "to push, drive;" Old Church Slavonic plŭstĭ.

"to beat or throb (as the heart or a blood vessel); contract and dilate in alternation or rhythmically," 1741, a back-formation from pulsation, or else from Latin pulsatus, past participle of pulsare "to beat against, strike upon," frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus) "to beat, strike" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). Related: Pulsated; pulsating; pulsatile.