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excite

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Excite is defined as to stir up emotions, action or strong reactions.

(verb)

An example of excite is telling a group of children they're going to get ice cream.
An example of excite is a fire engine with sirens blaring while driving past a house with many dogs.

See excite in Webster's New World College Dictionary

to put into motion or activity; stir up: tapping on the hive excited the bees
to call forth; arouse; provoke: the rumors excited her curiosity
to arouse the feelings or passions of: the news excited us
Elec.
1. to supply electric current to (the field winding of a motor, generator, or other device); also, to produce in this way a magnetic field in
2. to supply a signal to (any stage of a vacuum-tube or transistor circuit)
Physics to raise (a nucleus, atom, etc.) to a higher energy state
Physiol. to produce or increase the response of (an organism, organ, tissue, etc.) to a proper stimulus

Origin: ME exciten < OFr exciter < L excitare, to call forth, excite, freq. of exciere, to call forth < ex-, out + pp. of ciere, to call, summon: see cite

See excite in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb ex·cit·ed, ex·cit·ing, ex·cites

To stir to activity.
To call forth (a reaction or emotion, for example); elicit: odd noises that excited our curiosity.
To arouse strong feeling in: speakers who know how to excite a crowd. See Synonyms at provoke.
Physiology To produce increased activity or response in (an organ, tissue, or part); stimulate.
Physics
a. To increase the energy of.
b. To raise (an atom, for example) to a higher energy level.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English exciten

Origin: , from Latin excitāre

Origin: , frequentative of exciēre

Origin: : ex-, ex-

Origin: + ciēre, to set in motion; see kei-² in Indo-European roots

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