excitation

noun ex·ci·ta·tion \ ˌek-ˌsī-ˈtā-shən , ˌek-sə- \

Updated on: 30 Apr 2018

Definition of excitation

: excitement; especially : the disturbed or altered condition resulting from stimulation of an individual, organ, tissue, or cell

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Recent Examples of excitation from the Web

As part of the DAMA/LIBRA-phase 2 upgrade, the team at Gran Sasso switched out hardware to make their detectors sensitive to lower-energy excitations inside the sodium iodide crystals.

— natalie wolchover, WIRED, "Trouble Detected in Infamous Dark Matter Signal," 18 Apr. 2018
Intense snoring correlates with the serious medical condition of obstructive sleep apnea, plaguing one in 15 adults in the U.S. To an engineer, the flutter phenomenon is known as a self-excitation.

— justin webster, Scientific American, "Harnessing the Invisible Power of “Flutter”," 31 Mar. 2018
With excitation, cells fire, transmitting information and signals.

— debra kamin, Newsweek, "Is Marijuana the World’s Most Effective Treatment for Autism?," 15 Feb. 2018
Moral scrutiny based on Judeo-Christian tradition has become virtually nonexistent in most Millennial movies — which are primarily devoted to shrill excitation or nihilism — yet Ostlund’s satirical approach is part of the same problem.

— armond white, National Review, "The Square Might Be the Film of the Year," 27 Oct. 2017
The exquisite timing and placement of these different neuron cell types is critical for establishing a balance between excitation and inhibition within brain circuits.

— lisa m. krieger, The Mercury News, "Human brain in a dish: Stanford-grown cells fuse — and chat," 3 May 2017
In his decade-ago Showscan experiments, Trumbull proved that faster frame rates produce increasing levels of emotional excitation.

— hugh hart, WIRED, "Fast-Frame Hobbit Dangles Prospect of Superior Cinema, But Will Theaters Bite?," 25 Apr. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'excitation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of excitation

14th century

in the meaning defined above

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Medical Dictionary

excitation

noun ex·ci·ta·tion \ ˌek-ˌsī-ˈtā-shən , ˌek-sə- \

medical Definition of excitation

: excitement: as

a : the disturbed or altered condition resulting from arousal of activity (as by neural or electrical stimulation) in an individual organ or tissue

b : the arousing of such activity

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See words that rhyme with excitation Spanish Central: Translation of excitation Nglish: Translation of excitation for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about excitation

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excitation

Definition of excitation

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excitation

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