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galleon

American  
[gal-ee-uhn, gal-yuhn] / ˈgæl i ən, ˈgæl yən /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of galleon

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sunk in 1708, the galleon San José attained legendary status.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

In 1708 the San José, a treasure-laden Spanish galleon, sunk off the coast of Colombia.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025

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

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2024

The life-size statue known as the Black Nazarene and showing Jesus carrying the cross was brought in the 16th century from Mexico on a galleon in 1606 by Spanish missionaries.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2024

Space funk goggles wrapped around his dignified, long-jawed head, on top of which sat, or sailed really, the Spanish galleon of a velvet maroon hat.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.