galley-west

[ gal-ee-west ]

/ ˈgæl iˈwɛst /

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adverb

Informal. into a state of unconsciousness, confusion, or disarray (usually used in the phrase to knock galley-west).

adjective

Northern U.S. lopsided; cockeyed.

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Origin of galley-west

1870–75, Americanism; alteration of British dialect collywest

Words nearby galley-west

gallery wire, gallet, galley, galley proof, galley slave, galley-west, gallfly, Gallia, galliambic, Galliano, galliard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use galley-west in a sentence

There is, however, a separate wing of AQAP designed to inspire their followers to conduct attacks against the West.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The need for an Ebola vaccine in West Africa has never been greater.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
With Ebola still raging in West Africa, the race to find a vaccine is heating up.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I meet Otis J. the night he arrives at “The Castle,” a West Harlem halfway house for newly-released convicts.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Kanye West wants people to stand up and dance at his concerts.
Butts, Brawls, and Bill Cosby: The Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2014 |Kevin Fallon|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The volcanic eruptions of the mountains on the west broke down its barriers, and let its waters flow.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
When the women came, he was preparing to go to the west side for his daily visit with Mrs. Pruitt.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The cantonment was split into two sections by an irregular ravine, or nullah, running east and west.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
But you are mistaken in thinking the force west consists of the entire Merrill Horse.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Of course, my first row was a long one, quite through the city from west to east, including innumerable turnings and windings.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for galley-west

galley-west

adverb

slang, mainly US into confusion, inaction, or unconsciousness (esp in the phrase knock (someone or something) galley-west)

Word Origin for galley-west

C19: from English dialect colly-west awry, perhaps from Collyweston, a village in Northamptonshire

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