Definition of "excitation" []

• The act or process of exciting or an instance of it. (noun)
• The state or condition of being excited. (noun)
• Physiology The activity produced in an organ, tissue, or part, such as a nerve cell, as a result of stimulation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The musical notes of the string are called excitation modes compared to the string at rest."
• "They react only weakly to chemical reagents which produce strong dilation in the tongue, and while very slight mechanical irritation can cause some dilation, as a rule they contract when the excitation is stronger."
• "Here therefore the admixture of central inhibition with central excitation is a normal feature of a natural reflex."