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  • galilee
    galilee
    noun
    a porch or vestibule, often on the ground floor of a tower, at the entrance of some English churches.
  • Galilee
    Galilee
    noun
    an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel.

galilee

1 American  
[gal-uh-lee] / ˈgæl əˌli /

noun

  1. a porch or vestibule, often on the ground floor of a tower, at the entrance of some English churches.


Galilee 2 American  
[gal-uh-lee] / ˈgæl əˌli /

noun

  1. an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel.

  2. Also called Kinneret.  Also called Tiberias.  Sea of Galilee. a lake in northeastern Israel through which the Jordan River flows. 14 miles (23 kilometers) long; 682 feet (208 meters) below sea level.


Galilee 1 British  
/ ˈɡælɪˌliː /

noun

  1. a lake in NE Israel, 209 m (686 ft) below sea level, through which the River Jordan flows. Area: 165 sq km (64 sq miles)

  2. a northern region of Israel: scene of Christ's early ministry

"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

galilee 2 British  
/ ˈɡælɪˌliː /

noun

  1. a porch or chapel at the entrance to some medieval churches and cathedrals in England

"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 galilee1

1585–95; < Medieval Latin galilaea porch of a church, literally, Galilee; perhaps alluding to Galilee as a country of Gentiles (as opposed to Judaea), the porch being an area especially associated with the laity

Origin of Galilee2

From Old French Galilee, from Latin Galilaea, from Greek Galilaía , from Hebrew galil, haggalil “district, the district”

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.

See Examples For:

The Norman tower over the crossing was destroyed and a lighter one built in its place as we see, and the galilee was set up before the western doors.

From England of My Heart : Spring by Hutton, Edward

Durham, architecture of the choir and galilee of, 171.

From A Student's History of England, v. 1 (of 3) From the earliest times to the Death of King Edward VII by Gardiner, Samuel Rawson

Second only to this the galilee porch at Ely may take rank.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See by Sweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)

He built the galilee at the west end of the church.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See by Sweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)

The south porch, which projects boldly in the form of a galilee, is scarcely to be excelled as a specimen of pointed architecture at its highest pitch of luxuriant beauty.

From Account of a Tour in Normandy, Volume 2 by Turner, Dawson

After overcoming each temptation, he goes to Galilee to proclaim God’s word.

From Salon Jun. 5, 2026

"Mohammed Bakri died this Wednesday at the Galilee Medical Center" in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, hospital spokesperson Gal Zaid told AFP.

From Barron's Dec. 24, 2025

Already, they have been plunged into the sea of Galilee watching as Jesus walked on water and witnessed his transfiguration on a mountain top.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 25, 2025

No Pontiff ever wrote back, but the Archbishop of Galilee did — and often.

From Salon Feb. 9, 2025

And his mind could not contain the terrible stretch of time that united twelve men fishing by the shores of Galilee, and black men weeping on their knees tonight, and he, a witness.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

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