different between stimulus vs slight

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin stimulus (“goad, prick”)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?st?m.j?.l?s/

Noun

stimulus (plural stimuluses or stimuli)

1. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Any external phenomenon that has an influence on a system, by triggering or modifying an internal phenomenon.

   an economic stimulus
2. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (physiology) Something external that elicits or influences a physiological or psychological activity or response.
3. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (psychology) Anything effectively impinging upon any of the sensory apparatuses of a living organism, including physical phenomena both internal and external to the body.
4. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Anything that induces a person to take action.

Synonyms

• (anything that may have an impact or influence): influence
• (anything that induces a person to take action): impetus, impulse, spur

Translations

Esperanto

Verb

stimulus

1. conditional of stimuli

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin stimulus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sti.my.lys/

Noun

stimulus m (plural stimulus or stimuli)

1. stimulus

Further reading

• “stimulus” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to pierce, prick, be sharp”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ????? (stíz?, “I mark”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?sti.mu.lus/, [?s?t??m????s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?sti.mu.lus/, [?st?i?mulus]

Noun

stimulus m (genitive stimul?); second declension

1. a goad, prick
2. a sting
3. (figuratively) stimulus, incentive

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Related terms

• stimul?ti?
• stimul?

Descendants

References

• stimulus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• stimulus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• stimulus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• stimulus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
• stimulus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Probably from Latin

Noun

stimulus m (definite singular stimulusen, indefinite plural stimuli, definite plural stimuliene)

1. a stimulus

Related terms

• stimulere

References

• “stimulus” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Probably from Latin

Noun

stimulus m (definite singular stimulusen, indefinite plural stimuli or stimulusar, definite plural stimuliane or stimulusane)

1. a stimulus

References

• “stimulus” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Etymology

From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick. Cognate with Scots slicht (“bad, of poor quality”), West Frisian sljocht (“smooth, level, plain, simple”), Dutch slecht (“bad”), Low German slecht (“bad”), German schlecht (“bad”) and schlicht (“plain, artless, natural”), Danish slet (“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Swedish slät (“smooth”), Norwegian slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sl?t, IPA^(key): /sla?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): [sl?l?????]
• Rhymes: -a?t
• Homophone: sleight

Adjective

slight (comparative slighter, superlative slightest)

1. Small
   1. gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful

   2. not thorough; superficial

   3. trifling; unimportant; insignificant
      • 1741, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education & of the Conduct of the Understanding

        Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.

   4. (archaic or rare) not far away in space or time

   Synonyms: ignorable, meaningless, negligible, tiny; see also Thesaurus:tiny, Thesaurus:insignificant

2. of slender build
   • 1822, Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak

     his own figure, which was formerly so slight

   Synonyms: lithe, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender

3. (regional) Even, smooth or level

   Synonyms: flat, glassy, slick; see also Thesaurus:smooth

4. (especially said of the sea) still; with little or no movement on the surface

5. (obsolete) Foolish; silly; not intellectual.

   Synonyms: daft, fatuous, soft in the head; see also Thesaurus:foolish

6. (regional, obsolete) Bad, of poor quality.
   • 1889 (first published), George Washington, Writings

     we frequently have slight Goods and sometimes old and unsaleable Articles

   Synonyms: flimsy, lousy, shoddy; see also Thesaurus:low-quality

7. (dated) Slighting; treating with disdain.

   Synonyms: contemptuous, disdainful, scornful; see also Thesaurus:disdainful

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

slight (third-person singular simple present slights, present participle slighting, simple past and past participle slighted)

1. (transitive) To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Truth

     the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies

2. (transitive) To give lesser weight or importance to.
   • 1915, Josephine Turck Baker, Correct English (volumes 16-17, page 182)

     Incontiguously (accent on tig; the rest of the syllables slighted) means in an incontiguous manner.

   Synonym: belittle

   Antonyms: respect, value, esteem

3. (transitive) To treat with disdain or neglect, usually out of prejudice, hatred, or jealousy; to ignore disrespectfully.
   • 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal

     Though true of heart, she was somewhat of a coquette in manner; and I was jealous as a Turk. She slighted me in a thousand ways, yet would never acknowledge herself to be in the wrong. She would drive me mad with anger, and then force me to beg her pardon.

   Synonyms: contemn, despise

   Antonyms: respect, honor

4. (intransitive) To act negligently or carelessly. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
5. (transitive, military, of a fortification) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
6. (transitive) To make even or level.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Hexham to this entry?)

7. (transitive) To throw heedlessly.

Derived terms

• slightingly

Translations

Noun

slight (plural slights)

1. The act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.

   Synonyms: ignoring, neglect, belittlement

   Antonym: respect

   • 1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

     Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest.
2. (obsolete) Sleight.

   • For till that stownd could never wight him harme,
     By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.

Derived terms

• put a slight upon

Translations

Further reading

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• The Middle English Dictionary

Anagrams

• lights

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English sliht, from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz.

Alternative forms

• sli?t, slei?te, sle?t, slyght, sleght, sleight, sly?t

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slixt/, /sl?xt/
• Rhymes: -ixt

Adjective

slight

1. Level, even, smooth; having no bumps or lumps.
2. (rare) Of little importance or relevance.
3. (rare) Slim, narrow, skinny; of little breadth.
4. (rare) Badly made, poorly-built, or low-quality.

Descendants

• English: slight
• Scots: slicht
• Yola: sleight

References

• “slight, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-12.

Etymology 2

Noun

slight

1. Alternative form of sleight

Adjective

slight

1. Alternative form of sleight