galleon

noun

gal·​le·​on ˈga-lē-ən 

: a heavy square-rigged sailing ship of the 15th to early 18th centuries used for war or commerce especially by the Spanish

Illustration of galleon

Examples of galleon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The San Salvador is a replica of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s 16th-century Spanish galleon, the first European ship to reach what is now known as San Diego in 1542, according to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025

The wintry Atlantic roiling, frothing, glittering like a gigantic skin shaking itself, great galleon-clouds passing overhead, torn and tattered by the wind. —Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

In my first go, my ancient Romans became the Spanish, who sent galleons to distant lands. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025

The present day’s global aristocrats invade Miami for Art Week not by galleon under the power of sail, but by private jet under the power of fossil fuel. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Italian galeone, galione (later reinforced by Spanish galeón, probably borrowed from Italian), from galea galley + -one, augmentative suffix

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

galleon

noun

gal·​le·​on ˈgal-ē-ən 

: a large sailing ship with square sails used from the 1400s to the 1700s especially by the Spanish