A slowly diminishing reaction of a sense organ to persistent or repetitive stimulation. For example, a persistent smell may after a while result in the nose failing to signal its presence; the pressure-sensitive nerve endings in the skin may become accustomed to the presence of clothes on the body; regular background noise may be screened out by the cochlear nerve that links ear and brain.
n. 1. the phenomenon in which a sense organ shows a gradually diminishing response to continuous or repetitive stimulation. The nose, for example, may become adapted to the stimulus of an odour that is continuously present so that in time it ceases to report its presence. Similarly, the adaptation of touch receptors in the skin means that the presence of clothes can be forgotten a few minutes after they have been put on. 2. a process of change to enable adjustment to a condition or environment.
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