excite

verb

Etymology: From Middle English exciten, from Old French exciter, from Latin excitō (“to call out, call forth, arouse, wake up, stimulate”), frequentative of excieō (“to call out, arouse, excite”), from ex (“out”) + cieō (“to call, summon”). See cite and compare to accite, concite, incite.

1. To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.

   “The fireworks which opened the festivities excited anyone present.”

2. To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.

   “Favoritism tends to excite jealousy in the ones not being favored.”

   “The political reforms excited unrest among the population.”

3. To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.

   “By applying electric potential to the neon atoms, the electrons become excited, then emit a photon when returning to normal.”

4. To energize (an electromagnet); to produce a magnetic field in.

   “to excite a dynamo”