galvanism means The chemical generation of electricity. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
Why this word is great
GALVANISM — [Noun] The production of electricity by chemical action, or the therapeutic application of such direct current to the body. From French galvanisme, coined after physiologist Luigi Galvani (1737–1798) + the suffix -isme ("-ism"). Unlike "voltaism" (which names the metallic source) or "electrotherapy" (which denotes a clinical generality), galvanism evokes the original, uncanny spectacle of the corpse animated. It is the phosphorescent spasm of a dead nerve under a probe, the sour tang of zinc dissolving in acid, and the ghost of a smile flickering from electrodes at the temples—a forgotten science that still whispers of the spark lurking in muscle and metal, the archaic thrill of mistaking a spark for a soul.
noun
- The chemical generation of electricity.
- The (therapeutic) use of electricity directly applied to the body.“Perhaps a corpse would be re-animated; galvanism had given token of such things: perhaps the component parts of a creature might be manufactured, brought together, and endued with vital warmth.”