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

Gleaming brass features, including an air extractor over the stovetop, stand out among the boldly veined marble countertops in the galley kitchen, while the dining area has a wall of glass that opens to a terrace. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025

The Origins of the Galley Kitchen Design According to Cole, galley kitchens were originally influenced by ship kitchens, which prioritized compact layouts for efficiency. —Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025

Richard Thill, who worked in the ship’s galley, remembered having little to do at first. —Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2025

The cabin boasts 38 windows (each 50 percent larger than those on the Falcon 7X) and a galley resembling a high-end kitchen. —Julie Boatman, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2025

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

Rhymes for galley

• alley
• alli
• bally
• calli
• challis
• dally
• galli
• lally
• mallee
• mally
• rally
• salley

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