Pavlov's dog

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

In reference to the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov's work on classical conditioning: he discovered that dogs could be conditioned to salivate when a bell was rung, if it had previously been rung whenever food was given.

Noun

Pavlov's dog (plural Pavlov's dogs)

  1. (often attributive) A person who reacts instinctively to a stimulus, without thought or consideration.
    • For quotations using this term, see Citations:Pavlov's dog.
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