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)