Meaning & use
galvanic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
relating to electricity produced by chemical action, as in a simple battery
Grammar: Not usually compared: something is galvanic or not. It comes before a noun: a galvanic cell.
Patterns
- galvanic cell
- galvanic current
- galvanic corrosion
The students built a galvanic cell using copper and zinc strips.
Galvanic corrosion can damage metal pipes when they touch different metals in water.
A galvanic current was produced when the two metals were placed in the acid solution.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
sudden and exciting, like a shock that makes people react strongly
Grammar: Can be compared: a more galvanic effect. Often used before a noun.
Patterns
- a galvanic effect
- a galvanic reaction
The announcement had a galvanic effect on the crowd, who suddenly began cheering.
Her speech produced a galvanic reaction in the audience, waking everyone from their boredom.
The news was galvanic: within an hour, volunteers were lining up to help.
Common combinations
- galvanic cell
- A galvanic cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy.
- galvanic corrosion
- Galvanic corrosion occurs when two different metals meet in a wet environment.
- galvanic skin response
- The lie detector measures galvanic skin response to detect stress.
- galvanic effect
- The surprise had a galvanic effect on the sleepy meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- electric
- Electric is the general word for anything powered by electricity; galvanic specifically refers to electricity from chemical reactions.
- stimulating
- Stimulating means exciting interest or activity; galvanic suggests a sudden, shock-like excitement.
Word family
Commonly confused: galvanic or galvanized?
galvanic vs galvanized
Galvanized means coated with zinc to prevent rust, or excited into action. Galvanic describes the electricity itself.
Practice
In which sentence is 'galvanic' used correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Galvanic' is an adjective describing electricity from chemical action, so 'galvanic battery' is correct. Option B uses it as a predicate adjective, which is possible but less natural; option C uses it as a noun, and option D uses it as a verb, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “galvanic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.