galvanize

English

Alternative forms

• galvanise (UK)

Etymology

From French galvaniser, from galvanisme, named after Italian physiologist Luigi Aloisio Galvani (1737–1798).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡælvənaɪ̯z/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

(transitive)

1. (chemistry) To coat with a thin layer of metal by electrochemical means.

   Synonyms: electroplate, (rare) zinc

2. To coat with rust-resistant zinc.

   to galvanize steel

3. (figurative) To shock or stimulate into sudden activity, as if by electric shock.

   Synonyms: animate, startle, urge

   The girl’s picture helped galvanize public opinion against the administration’s policy.

   Republicans are hoping a proposed gas-tax repeal will galvanize their voters.

4. (archaic) To electrify.
   • Thomas Babington Macaulay

     The agitations resembled the grinnings and writhings of a galvanized corpse, not the struggles of an athletic man.

5. (historical, US) To switch sides between Union and Confederate in the American Civil War.
   • 1998, Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic, 1st Vintage Departures edition, Vintage Books, →ISBN, page 10:

     Reenactors called this “galvanizing,” the Civil War term for soldiers who switched sides during the conflict.

Derived terms

• galvanization

Related terms

• galvanic

Translations

to coat with rust-resistant zinc

• Catalan: galvanitzar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鍍鋅／镀锌 (zh) (dùxīn), 镀锌 (zh) (dùxīn)

• Danish: forzinke, galvanisere (da)
• Dutch: verzinken (nl)
• Estonian: galvaniseerima
• Faroese: málmklæða
• Finnish: galvanoida (fi)
• French: galvaniser (fr)
• German: verzinken (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: γαλβανίζω (el) (galvanízo)
• Italian: galvanizzare (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: forsinke (no)

  Nynorsk: forsinka, forsinke

• Portuguese: galvanizar (pt)
• Russian: оцинко́вывать (ru) impf (ocinkóvyvatʹ), оцинкова́ть (ru) pf (ocinkovátʹ)
• Spanish: galvanizar (es)
• Swedish: galvanisera (sv)

to coat with a thin layer of metal by electrochemical means

• Catalan: galvanitzar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 電鍍／电镀 (zh) (diàndù), 电镀 (zh) (diàndù)

• Czech: galvanizovat
• Danish: galvanisere (da)
• Dutch: galvaniseren (nl), verzinken (nl)
• Esperanto: galvanizi
• Estonian: galvaniseerima
• Finnish: galvanoida (fi)
• French: galvaniser (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Georgian: გალვანიზება (galvanizeba)
• German: galvanisieren (de)
• Greek: γαλβανίζω (el) (galvanízo)
• Italian: galvanizzare (it)
• Japanese: 活性化する (かっせいかする, kasseika suru)
• Portuguese: galvanizar (pt)
• Russian: гальванизи́ровать (ru) impf or pf (galʹvanizírovatʹ)
• Spanish: galvanizar (es)
• Swedish: galvanisera (sv)

to shock or stimulate into sudden activity

• Catalan: galvanitzar (ca)
• Estonian: galvaniseerima
• Finnish: sähköistää (fi)
• French: galvaniser (fr)
• Georgian: გამოცოცხლება (gamococxleba), წახალისება (c̣axaliseba), მოტივირება (moṭivireba)
• German: aufrütteln, aufschrecken, wachrütteln (de), einen Impuls setzen, beleben (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: ξεσηκώνω (el) (xesikóno)
• Italian: galvanizzare (it), stimolare (it), spingere (it), incitare (it), spronare (it), elettrizzare (it)
• Russian: оживля́ть (ru) impf (oživljátʹ), оживи́ть (ru) pf (oživítʹ)
• Spanish: galvanizar (es), espabilar (es), asustar (es), estimular (es)

---

Portuguese

Verb

galvanize

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of galvanizar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of galvanizar
3. first-person singular imperative of galvanizar
4. third-person singular imperative of galvanizar