Pavlov's dog
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editIn 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
editPavlov's dog (plural Pavlov's dogs)
- (often attributive) A person who reacts instinctively to a stimulus, without thought or consideration.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:Pavlov's dog.