# galley

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡæli/ · frequency rank #21,806

## Definitions
1. A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually a rowed warship used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.
2. A light, open boat used on the Thames by customhouse officers, press gangs, and also for pleasure.
3. One of the small boats carried by a man-of-war.
4. The cookroom or kitchen and cooking apparatus of a vessel or aircraft; sometimes on merchant vessels called the caboose.
5. An oblong oven or muffle with a battery of retorts; a gallery furnace.
6. An oblong tray of wood or brass, with upright sides, for holding type which has been set, or is to be made up, etc.
7. A proof sheet taken from type while on a galley; a galley proof.
8. A representation of a single-masted ship propelled by oars, with three flags and a basket.

## Etymology
From Middle English galeie, from Old French galee, from Latin galea, from Byzantine Greek γάλεα (gálea) of unknown origin, probably from Ancient Greek γαλέη (galéē), a kind of a small fish, from γαλεός (galeós, “dog-fish or small shark”).

## Easily confused with
- **Gayle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gayle)
- **gully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gully)
- **Gallo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gallo)
- **golly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-golly)
- **gilly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gilly)
- **gallon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gallon)
- **Galway** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-galway)
- **Gallup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gallup)
- **gallop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gallop)
- **Garvey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-garvey)
- **Geller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-geller)
- **Gallic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galley-vs-gallic)
- **gale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gale-vs-galley)
- **gall** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gall-vs-galley)
- **gable** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gable-vs-galley)
- **Galen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galen-vs-galley)
- **galaxy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galaxy-vs-galley)
- **gallery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gallery-vs-galley)
- **galileo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galileo-vs-galley)
- **galilee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galilee-vs-galley)

## Common misspellings (7)
`aglley`, `galely`, `galey`, `galleyy`, `gallye`, `ggalley`, `glaley`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/galley