GALVANIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does galvanize mean? 

• GALVANIZE (verb)
  The verb GALVANIZE has 3 senses:

1. to stimulate to action

2. cover with zinc

3. stimulate (muscles) by administering a shock

  Familiarity information: GALVANIZE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GALVANIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they galvanize    ... he / she / it galvanizes   
Past simple: galvanized   
Past participle: galvanized   
-ing form: galvanizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

To stimulate to action

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

galvanise; galvanize; startle

Context example:

galvanized into action

Hypernyms (to "galvanize" is one way to...):

ball over; blow out of the water; floor; shock; take aback (surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence examples:

The bad news will galvanize him
The good news will galvanize her
The performance is likely to galvanize Sue

Derivation:

galvanization (stimulation that arouses a person to lively action)

galvanizer (a leader who stimulates and excites people to action)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cover with zinc

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

galvanise; galvanize

Context example:

galvanize steel

Hypernyms (to "galvanize" is one way to...):

coat; surface (put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

galvanization (either the work of covering with metal by the use of a galvanic current or the coating of iron with zinc to protect it from rusting)

galvanizer (a skilled worker who coats iron or steel with zinc)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Stimulate (muscles) by administering a shock

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

galvanise; galvanize

Hypernyms (to "galvanize" is one way to...):

shock (subject to electrical shocks)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

galvanism (the therapeutic application of electricity to the body (as in the treatment of various forms of paralysis))

galvanization (stimulation with a galvanic current)

 Context examples 

In its frozen state it was more like strips of galvanized iron, and when a dog wrestled it into his stomach it thawed into thin and innutritious leathery strings and into a mass of short hair, irritating and indigestible.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)