ictus

I1C3T1U1S1
UK/ˈɪktəs/UK/ˈɪktuːs/

noun

The pulse.

Similar
seizureraptus
OriginLatin ictus →
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Meanings

nounictus (plural ictus or ictuses or ictusses)

plural ictuses · plural ictusses

  1. The pulse.
  2. medicineA sudden attack, blow, stroke, or seizure, as in a sunstroke, the sting of an insect, pulsation of an artery, etc.
  3. human sciencesThe stress of voice laid upon an accented syllable of a word. Compare arsis.
  4. entertainmentIn conducting, the indication of a musical event, most often the beat of the tempo or the entry of a section of the orchestra.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna sudden occurrence (or recurrence) of a disease

Similar
seizureraptus
Broader
attack
Also see
raptusseizure

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinictus“a blow”
  2. Englishictus

Unadapted borrowing from Latin ictus (“a blow”), from īco (“to hit, strike”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Spanish ictus
  • ictusstroke

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

ichthusichthys

Anagrams

cutisustic
Cite this entry
APA

ictus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ictus

MLA

“ictus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ictus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ictus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ictus.

Source: ictus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.