English▸ verb [with object]
1 shock or excite (someone) into taking action:
the urgency of his voice galvanized them into action
we need a moral victory, something to galvanize public opinion.
2 coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc:
they promised they would galvanize the iron railings to prevent rusting.
▸ noun [mass noun] West Indian English or dialect galvanized steel sheeting, as used for roofing or fencing:
the rain was beating hard against Miss Orilie's galvanize.
– ORIGIN early 19th century (in the sense ‘stimulate by electricity’): from French galvaniser (see Galvani, Luigi).