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galvanic

[gal-van-ik]
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adjective
  1. pertaining to or produced by galvanism; producing or caused by an electric current.
  2. affecting or affected as if by galvanism; startling; shocking: the galvanic effect of his speech.
  3. stimulating; energizing: Her galvanic presence brought the party to life.
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Origin of galvanic

1790–1800; < French galvanique, named after Luigi Galvani; see -ic
Related formsgal·van·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

propulsiverestlessfidgetydemonstrativeimpulsivehigh-strungfieryhystericalskittishtemperamentalsweepingdynamiccompellingactiveurgingenergeticenterprisinglivelyvigorousviolent

Examples from the Web for galvanic

Historical Examples

  • You thought it was a galvanic belt, or something of that sort.

    Henry Dunbar

    M. E. Braddon

  • Where would be the stomach-pumps and the galvanic batteries for science?

    Nuts and Nutcrackers

    Charles James Lever

  • With a start, as if shocked into galvanic motion, the boy sat upright.

  • His simple reply had a galvanic effect on his three hearers.

  • We can send a galvanic current through a piece of platinum wire.

    The Story of the Heavens

    Robert Stawell Ball

British Dictionary definitions for galvanic

galvanic

galvanical

adjective
  1. Also: voltaic of, producing, or concerned with an electric current, esp a direct current produced chemicallya galvanic cell
  2. informal resembling the effect of an electric shock; convulsive, startling, or energeticgalvanic reflexes
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Derived Formsgalvanically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for galvanic

adj.

1797; see galvanism + -ic.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
galvanic in Science

galvanic

[găl-văn′ĭk]
  1. Relating to electricity generated by a chemical reaction. A galvanic cell is an electric cell, such as found in household and car batteries, that makes use of galvanic reactions to act as a power source. See Note at battery.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.