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 masts and sails of Galanin’s galleon evoke a decisive moment, symbolizing a point of no return, where past actions force a commitment to a new, uncertain future. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

History buffs will delight in Punta Arenas’s maritime museum and life-size replicas of the storied European galleons that once navigated to these remote shores. —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2024

This year's installation features a Spanish galleon emerging from under the sand by artist Nicholas Galanin. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024

Two hundred years ago, a galleon reportedly pulled out of western Mexico loaded with treasure. —Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 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