Definition

1. Noun:
   • The kitchen area on a ship or aircraft: A galley is the designated space where food is prepared and cooked aboard a vessel or an airplane.
   • A historical seagoing vessel: In classical antiquity and the medieval period, a galley was a type of ship, typically long and slender, propelled primarily by oars and often also by sails, used for war, trade, or piracy.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Kitchen Area):
  • The chef prepared meals for the crew in the ship's galley.
  • Flight attendants heat the meals in the airplane's galley before serving.
• Noun (Historical Ship):
  • The Roman fleet used galleys to dominate the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Medieval trading galleys were vital for commerce between Venice and Constantinople.

Advanced Usage

• "Galley proof": In printing and publishing, this refers to a preliminary version of a text, printed on long sheets for proofreading and correction before final publication. This term originates from the historical use of a "galley" (a metal tray) for holding composed type.
  • The author carefully reviewed the galley proofs for any last-minute errors.
• "Galley slave": Historically, this term referred to a person, often a convict or prisoner of war, forced to row on a galley. Figuratively, it can describe someone engaged in very hard, monotonous labor.
  • He felt like a galley slave, chained to his desk and the endless paperwork.

Variants and Related Words

• Galley proof (n): A preliminary printed proof.
• Galley slave (n): A historical term for an oarsman; a person subjected to drudgery.

Synonyms

• Kitchen (for the food preparation area on a ship/plane).
• Oared vessel, warship, longship (for the historical ship).

Related Phrases

• To slave in the galley: To work extremely hard at a menial or demanding task.
  • For years, he slaved in the galley of the publishing house before his novel was accepted.

Related Idioms

• "Between the devil and the deep blue sea": This idiom, meaning to be caught in a dilemma with two equally bad choices, is sometimes linked to the dangerous position of a sailor working on the outer plank ("devil") of a galley over the deep sea. However, its connection is debated by etymologists.
  • With both job offers having major drawbacks, she felt caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Noun

1. the area for food preparation on a ship
2. the kitchen area for food preparation on an airliner
3. (classical antiquity) a crescent-shaped seagoing vessel propelled by oars
4. a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading