galley

noun

gal·​ley ˈga-lē 

plural galleys

1

: a ship or boat propelled solely or chiefly by oars: such as

a

: a long low ship used for war and trading especially in the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle Ages to the 19th century

also : galleass

b

: a warship of classical antiquity compare bireme, trireme

c

: a large open boat (such as a gig) formerly used in England

2

: the kitchen and cooking apparatus especially of a ship or airplane

3

a

: an oblong tray to hold especially a single column of set type

b

: a proof of typeset matter especially in a single column before being made into pages

Illustration of galley

• galley 1a

Examples of galley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The latter version also has a spacious office connected to the galley, as the owner plans to work aboard the yacht. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Nov. 2023

The aft of the main deck is home to a galley and a saloon with a separate lounge and dining area. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023

And that's not to mention the annoyance of the proximity to the lavatory and galley. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2023

So, on that wall outside of the galley, there evolved a narrative where people were trying to mount rescue missions, and there were sign up sheets for that. —IEEE Spectrum, 26 Oct. 2023

This includes the sundeck, which was extended by 108 square feet, a second pool, pop-up tables for alfresco dining, and an outdoor galley with a bar made from the largest slab of backlit black agate found on any yacht. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2023

Consider a glossy black tiled kitchen nook like the one designer Nannette Brown created for this moody galley kitchen in a New York apartment. —Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 8 June 2023

The four-bedroom, two-bath house is equipped with a vast great room and an über-modern stainless steel galley kitchen. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2023

On board, a long, curved, six-seater polished wooden bench lines the deck; a small cabin area, loaded with thick wool blankets for chilly nights, houses the captain’s seat and leads down to a small galley. —Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English galeie, galey, borrowed from Anglo-French galee, galeie (continental Old French galee, galie), borrowed (probably in part via Upper Italian dialects) from Middle Greek galéa, after galéa "the shark Galeorhinus galeus," probably re-formation of Greek galeós, a name for the same fish, of uncertain origin

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing galley

• galley-west

• galley-west

Kids Definition

galley

noun

gal·​ley ˈgal-ē 

plural galleys

1

: a large low ship of olden times moved by oars and sails

2

: the kitchen especially of a ship or airplane