EXCITATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does excitation mean? 

• EXCITATION (noun)
  The noun EXCITATION has 3 senses:

1. the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up

2. the neural or electrical arousal of an organ or muscle or gland

3. something that agitates and arouses

  Familiarity information: EXCITATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXCITATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of being emotionally aroused and worked up

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

excitation; excitement; fervor; fervour; inflammation

Context example:

he tried to calm those who were in a state of extreme inflammation

Hypernyms ("excitation" is a kind of...):

emotional arousal (the arousal of strong emotions and emotional behavior)

Attribute:

exciting (creating or arousing excitement)

unexciting (not exciting)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "excitation"):

fever pitch (a state of extreme excitement)

sensation (a state of widespread public excitement and interest)

Derivation:

excite (stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of)

excite (arouse or elicit a feeling)

excite (stir feelings in)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The neural or electrical arousal of an organ or muscle or gland

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

excitation; innervation; irritation

Hypernyms ("excitation" is a kind of...):

arousal (a state of heightened physiological activity)

Derivation:

excite (produce a magnetic field in)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something that agitates and arouses

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

excitation; excitement

Context example:

he looked forward to the excitements of the day

Hypernyms ("excitation" is a kind of...):

arousal; rousing (the act of arousing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "excitation"):

chiller; hair-raiser (excitation that makes your hair stand up or that chills your bones)

thrill (something that causes you to experience a sudden intense feeling or sensation)

Derivation:

excite (act as a stimulant)

 Context examples 

Dyclonine reversibly binds to activated sodium channels on the neuronal membrane, thereby decreasing the neuronal membrane's permeability to sodium ions, leading to an increased threshold for excitation.

(Dyclonine, NCI Thesaurus)

The time in milliseconds between the application of the excitation pulse and the recording of the peak echo signal.

(Echo Time, NCI Thesaurus)

Excitation and contraction are uncoupled, which decreases the frequency and force of contractions.

(Magnesium sulfate, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Oxybenzone absorbs UVB and UVA II rays, resulting in a photochemical excitation and absorption of energy.

(Oxybenzone, NCI Thesaurus)

They are involved with high level aspects of inhibitory motor activity in coordination with the excitation commands issued from the cerebellum.

(Basal Ganglia, NCI Thesaurus)

Inhibition of sodium channels prevents the depolarization of nerve cell membranes and inhibits subsequent propagation of impulses along the course of the nerve, thereby limiting the excitation of nerve endings.

(Dibucaine, NCI Thesaurus)

These excitations typically only travel about 10 nanometres in plastic (or polymeric) semiconductors, so researchers need to build tiny structures patterned at the nanoscale to maximise the harvest.

(Plastic crystals hold key to record-breaking energy transport, Universities of Cambridge)

Other barbiturate effects in the CNS may include modulation of sodium and calcium channels as well as inhibition of glutamate-mediated excitation.

(Barbiturate, NCI Thesaurus)

On Earth, aurorae are essentially green or red (excitation of atomic oxygen), but even blue-purple (excitation of ionized molecular nitrogen) can be seen.

(Blue Aurorae in Mars’ Sky Visible to the Naked Eye, NASA)

After the gel electrophoresis, the gel is scanned with the excitation wavelength of each dye and the imges are superimposed, allowing detection of changes in protein abundance between samples.

(Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis, NCI Thesaurus)