1. a person or thing that draws out, brings forth, or evokes a response, answer, or information
Usage: often used in academic, psychological, or technical contexts
2. in biology and biochemistry, a substance that triggers or induces a response in an organism or cell
Usage: technical; used in plant biology and immunology

Examples

• The interviewer used careful questioning as an elicitor of honest responses from the witnesses.
• A skilled teacher acts as an elicitor of student ideas rather than simply delivering facts.
• The researcher identified a chemical elicitor that activates the plant's defense mechanisms.
• In psychology, the therapist serves as an elicitor of suppressed memories and emotions.
• The pathogen acts as an elicitor of the immune system's inflammatory response.
• Good conversation requires an elicitor—someone who asks the right questions to draw people out.