stimulose (stimulos)

[ stimuli. Ne he iwis might se a stime . stimulus (stim'ū-lus), n.; pl. stimuli (-li). [= Cursor Mundi , 1. 19652. ( Stratmann .) F. stimulus, stimule = Sp. estimulo =Pg.estimulo Wherewith he blinded them so close A stime they could not see. Robin Hood and the Beggar (Child's Ballads, V. 201). stimulant (stim'ū-lant), a . and n. [F. stimu lant = Sp. Pg. estimulante = It. stimolante , stimulan ( t- ) s , ppr. of stimulare , prick, urge, stimulate: see stimulate .] I. a . Stimulating; serving to stimulate, incite, or provoke; specifically, in physiol ., temporarily quickening some functional or trophic proce . - Stimulant balsam, a mixture of oil of turpentine 8 parts and flour mustard 1 part. II. n. 1. That which stimulates, provokes, or incites; a stimulus; a spur. = It. stimolo, stimulo, 4. Something that excites or rouses the mind or spirits; something that incites to action or exertion; an incitement or incentive. stimulus We went to dine last Thursday with Mr. -, a neighboring clergyman, a haunch of venison being the stimu lus to the invitation. Sydney Smith, in Lady Holland, vi. The infinitely complex organizations of commerce have grown up under the stimulus of certain desires existing in each of us. H. Spencer , Social Statics, p. 28. 5. In physiol., something which evokes some functional or trophic reaction in the ti ues on which it acts. Light does not act as a stimulus to the nervous substance, either fibres or cells, unle it have an intensity which is nearly deadly to that substance. G. T. Ladd , Physiol. Psychology, p. 179. Absolute stimulus difference, in psychophysics, the actual difference in strength between two stimuli. - Relative stimulus difference, in psychophysics, the ratio of the difference between two stimuli to their mean. - Stimulus receptivity, in psychophysics, the power of appreciating stimuli, measured by the least intensity of stimulus giving the greatest conscious effect. - Stimulus scope, in psychophysics, the difference between the measure of stimulus receptivity and the stimulus threshold. - Stimulus susceptibility, in psychophysics, the power of perceiving a stimulus, so that the greater the stimulus susceptibility the lower the stimulus threshold. - Stimulus threshold, in psychophysics, the minimum amount of stimulus required to produce a conscious effect.