Galley slave

Galley slave
Galley Gal"ley, n.; pl. {Galleys}. [OE. gale, galeie (cf. OF. galie, gal['e]e, LL. galea, LGr. ?; of unknown origin.] 1. (Naut.) A vessel propelled by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; as: (a) A large vessel for war and national purposes; -- common in the Middle Ages, and down to the 17th century. (b) A name given by analogy to the Greek, Roman, and other ancient vessels propelled by oars. (c) A light, open boat used on the Thames by customhouse officers, press gangs, and also for pleasure. (d) One of the small boats carried by a man-of-war. [1913 Webster]

Note: The typical galley of the Mediterranean was from one hundred to two hundred feet long, often having twenty oars on each side. It had two or three masts rigged with lateen sails, carried guns at prow and stern, and a complement of one thousand to twelve hundred men, and was very efficient in mediaeval warfare. Galleons, galliots, galleasses, half galleys, and quarter galleys were all modifications of this type. [1913 Webster]

2. The cookroom or kitchen and cooking apparatus of a vessel; -- sometimes on merchant vessels called the {caboose}. [1913 Webster]

3. (Chem.) An oblong oven or muffle with a battery of retorts; a gallery furnace. [1913 Webster]

4. [F. gal['e]e; the same word as E. galley a vessel.] (Print.) (a) An oblong tray of wood or brass, with upright sides, for holding type which has been set, or is to be made up, etc. (b) A proof sheet taken from type while on a galley; a galley proof. [1913 Webster]

{Galley slave}, a person condemned, often as a punishment for crime, to work at the oar on board a galley. ``To toil like a galley slave.'' --Macaulay.

{Galley slice} (Print.), a sliding false bottom to a large galley. --Knight. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Galley Slave — is a term used to refer to prisoners condemned (in an obsolete form of punishment) to man the oars of a galley. Infobox Short story | name = Galley Slave author = Isaac Asimov country = United States language = English series = Robot Series genre …   Wikipedia

  • galley slave — slave forced to operate an oar on a galley, slave who rows on a galley (ancient sailing vessel propelled by oars and sails) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Galley slave — A galley slave was a slave rowing in a galley. The expression has two distinct meanings: it can refer either to a convicted criminal sentenced to work at the oar ( French : forçat), or to a kind of human chattel, often a prisoner of war, assigned …   Wikipedia

  • galley slave — noun 1. a slave condemned to row in a galley • Hypernyms: ↑slave 2. a laborer who is obliged to do menial work • Syn: ↑drudge, ↑peon, ↑navvy • Derivationally related forms: ↑drudge …   Useful english dictionary

  • galley slave — noun A slave who rows in a galley …   Wiktionary

  • galley slave — Synonyms and related words: bargee, bargeman, barger, beast of burden, boat handler, boater, boatman, boatsman, bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, captive, chattel, chattel slave, churl, concubine, debt slave, dray horse, drudge …   Moby Thesaurus

  • galley slave — 1. a person condemned to work at an oar on a galley. 2. a drudge. [1560 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • galley slave — /ˈgæli sleɪv/ (say galee slayv) noun 1. a person condemned to row in a galley. 2. an overworked person; drudge …  

  • galley-slave — …   Useful english dictionary

  • The Galley Slave — Infobox Film name = The Galley Slave image size = caption = director = J. Gordon Edwards producer = William Fox writer = Clara Beranger (novel) Bartley Campbell Rex Ingram narrator = starring = Theda Bara Stuart Holmes music = cinematography =… …   Wikipedia

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