English▸ noun a sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th through 17th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were mainly square-rigged and usually had three or more decks and masts:
a Spanish treasure galleon wrecked off the Florida Keys.
– ORIGIN early 16th century : either via Middle Dutch from French galion, from galie ‘galley’, or from Spanish galeón.