galleon

[ gal-ee-uhn, gal-yuhn ]

noun

1. a large sailing vessel of the 15th to the 17th centuries used as a fighting or merchant ship, square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and generally lateen-rigged on one or two after masts.

galleon

/ ˈɡælɪən /

noun

1. nautical a large sailing ship having three or more masts, lateen-rigged on the after masts and square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast, used as a warship or trader from the 15th to the 18th centuries

Word History and Origins

Origin of galleon¹

1520–30; < Spanish galeón, augmentative of galea galley

Word History and Origins

Origin of galleon¹

C16: from Spanish galeón, from French galion, from Old French galie galley

Example Sentences

A Spanish galleon, the San José, was sunk by the British off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago.

From BBC

New artefacts have been uncovered on the 18th Century Spanish galleon dubbed the “holy grail of shipwrecks” off the coast of Colombia.

From BBC

The Colombian government has started exploring a sunk 18th Century Spanish galleon dubbed the “holy grail of shipwrecks”.

From BBC

And like a galleon on stormy seas, Lady Augusta Drear barged down the room.

From Literature

An estimated 3 million wrecks litter the seafloor, ranging from Nazi gold ships and Spanish galleons to ordinary cargo ships.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• catamaran
• craft
• cutter
• schooner
• ship
• skiff
• sloop
• vessel
• yacht