stimulant

[ stim-yuh-luhnt ]

/ ˈstɪm yə lənt /

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See synonyms for stimulant on Thesaurus.com

noun

Physiology, Medicine/Medical. something that temporarily quickens some vital process or the functional activity of some organ or part: Adrenalin is a stimulant for the heart.Compare depressant (def. 4).

any food or beverage that stimulates, especially coffee, tea, or, in its initial effect, alcoholic liquor.

a stimulus or incentive.

adjective

Physiology, Medicine/Medical. temporarily quickening some vital process or functional activity.

stimulating.

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Origin of stimulant

First recorded in 1720–30, stimulant is from the Latin word stimulant- (stem of stimulāns, present participle of stimulāre to goad). See stimulus, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM stimulant

an·ti·stim·u·lant, adjective, nounnon·stim·u·lant, noun, adjective

Words nearby stimulant

Stilwell, stilyaga, stim, stime, Stimson, stimulant, stimulate, stimulated emission, stimulating, stimulation, stimulative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use stimulant in a sentence

Some of the most commonly faked drugs include opioids such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, and Xanax, as well as stimulants used to treat ADHD like Adderall, counterfeit versions of which can contain pure meth.
Flood of Fake, Fentanyl-Laced Pills Is Killing Americans: DEA|Justin Rohrlich|September 27, 2021|The Daily Beast
Almost half of the brands tested included more than one prohibited stimulant.
Prohibited, unlisted, even dangerous ingredients turn up in dietary supplements|Christie Aschwanden|June 30, 2021|Washington Post
This time, he and his colleagues analyzed 17 brands of sports and weight-loss supplements sold in the United States, and they detected nine prohibited stimulants in them.
Prohibited, unlisted, even dangerous ingredients turn up in dietary supplements|Christie Aschwanden|June 30, 2021|Washington Post
In France, ibogaine was sold and prescribed as an antidepressant and stimulant called Lambarene for more than 30 years until the 1960s, when the government outlawed the sale of ibogaine.
Inside Ibogaine, One of the Most Promising and Perilous Psychedelics for Addiction|Mandy Oaklander|April 5, 2021|Time

In a 2017 mouse study, for example, wounds healed faster in animals that were previously exposed to an inflammatory stimulant.
‘Trained Immunity’ Offers Hope in Fight Against Coronavirus|Esther Landhuis|September 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Then there is the nicotine: a stimulant that for the addict also has the added effect of calming the nerves.
My (Electronic) Cigarette Addiction|Eli Lake|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What's interesting about the study's finding is that it dodges the trap that snares much of the research on stimulant medication.
Busting the Adderall Myth|Casey Schwartz|December 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Because cigarettes can be either a stimulant or a relaxant, the game has two modes.
Get Therapy Through Your iPhone|Josh Dzieza|September 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
For a fuller effect, try a cup of coffee on the side, as caffeine is a traditional and effective stimulant.
Five Aphrodisiac Foods|Sarah Whitman-Salkin|February 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This is bad news, since cortisol also acts as an appetite stimulant.
Do Your Genes Make You Fat?|Arthur Agatston, M.D.|January 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Niopo is a powerful stimulant, a small portion of it producing violent sneezing in persons unaccustomed to its use.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
As, during the whole pepper-harvest, they feed wholly on this stimulant, they become exceedingly irritable.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Taken internally, camphor is a nerve stimulant, a diaphoretic and a feeble antipyretic.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various
But to Charity the heat was a stimulant: it enveloped the whole world in the same glow that burned at her heart.
Summer|Edith Wharton
The stick, or whip, is needed rather to indicate the precise movement desired, than as a stimulant or means of punishment.
Domestic Animals|Richard L. Allen

British Dictionary definitions for stimulant

stimulant

/ (ˈstɪmjʊlənt) /

noun

a drug or similar substance that increases physiological activity, esp of a particular organ

any stimulating agent or thing

adjective

increasing physiological activity; stimulating

Word Origin for stimulant

C18: from Latin stimulāns goading, from stimulāre to urge on; see stimulus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for stimulant

stimulant

[ stĭm′yə-lənt ]

An agent that arouses organic activity, strengthens the action of the heart, increases vitality, and promotes a sense of well-being.

adj.

Serving as or being a stimulant.

Scientific definitions for stimulant

stimulant

[ stĭm′yə-lənt ]

An agent, especially a drug, that causes increased activity, especially of the nervous or cardiovascular systems. Caffeine is a commonly used stimulant.

stimulant

Origin of stimulant

OTHER WORDS FROM stimulant

Words nearby stimulant

Words related to stimulant

How to use stimulant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stimulant

Word Origin for stimulant

Medical definitions for stimulant

Scientific definitions for stimulant