| 释义 |
im·pe·tus
\ˈimpəd.əs, -pətəs\ noun
(-es)
Etymology: Latin, attack, assault, impetus, from impetere to attack, from in- in- (II) + petere to go to or toward, rush at, attack, seek — more at feather
1.
a.
(1) : a driving or impelling force
< trying to discover the impetus behind all this activity >
: impulse
< an intermittent force, each impetus being of only the shortest duration >
(2) : incentive, stimulus
< felt no impetus to do well in school >
b. : stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity
< gave a good deal of impetus to the musical activity of the city >
2. : the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion — used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion rather than the quantity or effectiveness |