Palpitate

The American Heritage dictionary defines the word palpitate as being, "To move with a slight tremulous motion; tremble, shake or quiver." It also means to beat excessively or throb, as in having your heart palpitate. The word's origin is Latin and comes from the word palpitare, palpitat-. I personally like the word because it reminds me of my high school in a health class. I like how the word sounds very precise and clear. It's almost as if you know the meaning as soon as you hear the word, whether or not you had ever heard it before.