Stimulant

How to spell stimulant

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce stimulant

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does stimulant mean?

1. nounA substance that raises the level of physiological or nervous activity in the body.
2. adjectiveTending to raise activity in the body or mind; having an arousing effect.

Stimulant in a sentence

• noun

  Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world.

• adjective

  The herb is known for its mild stimulant effect on the nervous system.

• noun

  The athlete failed the drug test after taking a banned stimulant.

• adjective

  Researchers studied the stimulant properties of the new compound.

Where does stimulant come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin stimulus, which literally meant a pointed stick or goad used to drive cattle and oxen forward. From that vivid image of physically prodding an animal into motion, the Latin verb stimulare developed the sense of urging, spurring, or rousing something into action. English picked up the medical and physiological meaning in the early 1700s, applying it to anything that quickens the body's activity. The agent ending -ant marks it as the thing doing the rousing, just as in 'coolant' or 'lubricant'. The single l in the middle is the quiet spelling trap: the Latin root has only one l, so resist the urge to double it, and the y sound in the second syllable is actually spelled with a u.

How the word is built

• stimul- (from Latin stimulus: a goad or prod)
• -ant (agent suffix: a thing that does)