/ ˈstɪmjələs; NAmE / noun ( pl. stim·uli / -laɪ; NAmE /) stimulus (to / for sth) | stimulus (to do sth)
1.
[ usually sing. ] something that helps sb/sth to develop better or more quickly :
Books provide children with ideas and a stimulus for play.
The new tax laws should act as a stimulus to exports.
2.
something that produces a reaction in a human, an animal or a plant :
sensory / verbal / visual stimuli
The animals were conditioned to respond to auditory stimuli (= sounds) .
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: from Latin , goad, spur, incentive.