Stimulus1. (n.) An incentive; that which provokes or excites -- not usually meaning a drug; as, the hope of gain is a powerful stimulus to labor and action.
2. (v. t.) That which excites or produces a temporary increase of vital action, either in the whole organism or in any of its parts; especially (Physiol.), any substance or agent capable of evoking the activity of a nerve or irritable muscle, or capable of producing an impression upon a sensory organ or more particularly upon its specific end organ.
Thesaurus Entries
activator, aggravation, agitation, animation, animator, antecedents, arousal, arouser, arousing, bait, base, basis, boost, bribe, call, carrot, catalyst, causation, cause, cause and effect, determinant, determinative, electrification, element, encouragement, energizer, etiology, exacerbation, exasperation, excitation, excitement, exhilaration, factor, fillip, fomentation, galvanization, goad, ground, grounds, human dynamo, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitation, incitement, inducement, inflammation, infuriation, instigation, interest, invitation, irritation, lathering up, life, lure, motivating force, motivation, motive, motive power, occasion, payment, percentage, persuasive, perturbation, principle, profit, propellant, provocation, provocative, push, restorative, reward, spark plug, spur, steaming up, stimulant, stimulation, stimulative, stimulator, stirring, stirring up, sweetener, sweetening, tonic, urging, whet, whipping up, working up