Meaning and usage of the word palpitate in English

The word "palpitate" originated from the Latin verb "palpītāre," which means "to feel fragmentically" or "to pick at something." The Latin noun "palpus" refers to a finger or a claw, and it's the source of the prefix "palp-" in words like "palpable" and "palpation." In medical terms, palpitation originally referred to the feeling of a lump or mass in the body. However, by the 17th century, it came to mean a fluttering or rapid contraction of the heart. The term "palpebral" refers to the eyelids, or "palpebrae," in Greek and Latin, and "palpation" is the act of feeling or examining using the fingers. All of these words have roots in Latin or Greek, providing insights into their meanings and origins.