Main Entry: stim·u·lus

Pronunciation: \ˈstim-yə-ləs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural stim·u·li \-ˌlī, -ˌlē\

Etymology: Latin

Date: 1684

: something that rouses or incites to activity: as a : incentive b : stimulant 1 c : an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)