stim ‧ u ‧ lus /ˈstɪmjələs, ˈstɪmjʊləs/ BrE AmE noun ( plural stimuli /-laɪ/)
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'sharp stick for making animals move' ]
1 . [countable usually singular, uncountable] something that helps a process to develop more quickly or more strongly:
Tax cuts provided the stimulus which the slow economy needed.
stimulus to
The discovery of oil acted as a stimulus to industrial development.
2 . [countable] something that makes someone or something move or react:
At this age, the infant begins to react more to visual stimuli.