English▸ noun a sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th to the 18th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were typically square-rigged and 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.