Găl'va-nĭsm, n.
n. [Fr. galvanisme, from Galvani, of Bologna, the discoverer.] 1. Electricity developed by chemical action between different substances without the aid of friction, as by connecting dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, with an intervening oxidizing fluid; current electricity; — called also galvanic electricity, voltaic electricity, chemico-electricity, and dynamic electricity.
The electricity thus produced is of the same nature as that given by the common machine, the only difference being that the mode of producing galvanism is continuous. Eng. Cyc.
Sense 2. That branch of physical science which treats of galvanic electricity.