galleon
/ˈɡæ.li.ən/ noun
Forms galleons
Etymology
From Middle French galion or Spanish galeón. Originally an augmentative form of a Romance language cognate of galley, the word spread around the Mediterranean from the 12th century, taking on different meanings depending on place and time.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A sailing vessel of the 15th and following centuries, often having three or four decks, and used for war or commerce. The term is often rather indiscriminately applied to any large sailing vessel.
Etymology [Sp. galeon, cf. F. galion; fr. LL. galeo, galio. See Galley.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “galleon”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details