n 1 : the act or process of stimulating 2 : the stimulating action of various agents on muscles, nerves, or a sensory end organ by which activity is evoked : esp : the reaction produced in a sensory end organ by a stimulus that initiates a nerve impulse and results in functional activity of an effector (as a muscle or gland) <gastric secretion induced by of the sense of smell> .
of the sense of smell> .
