subthreshold

[ suhb-thresh-ohld, -thresh-hohld ]

adjective

, Psychology, Physiology.

1. (of a stimulus) too weak to produce a response.

Word History and Origins

Origin of subthreshold¹

First recorded in 1940–45; sub- + threshold

Example Sentences

In these cases, olfactory receptors in the nose could be initiating a "subthreshold" response to molecules that people are largely unaware of.

From Science Daily

The researchers also found that the quantum interference effects could be used to improve the transistor's subthreshold swing, which is a measure of how sensitive the transistor is to changes in the gate voltage.

From Science Daily

The lower the subthreshold swing, the more efficient the transistor is.

From Science Daily

The researchers' transistors had a subthreshold swing of 140 mV/dec, which is better than subthreshold swings reported for other single-molecule transistors, and comparable to larger devices made from materials such as carbon nanotubes.

From Science Daily

In 2012, Kanne created a self-assessment called the Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire, meant to measure autism features in the general population.

From Scientific American