Meaning of galley slave | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A slave who rows in a galley (type of ship).
   historical
2. A typesetter (person who arranged type in a galley for printing).
   obsolete, slang

Equivalents

Examples

“"That is a chain of galley slaves, on the way to the galleys by force⟳ of the king's orders." "How by force⟳?" asked Don Quixote; "is it possible that the king uses force⟳ against anyone?" "I do not say⟳ that," answered Sancho, "but that these are people condemned for their crimes to serve⟳ by force⟳ in the king's galleys."”

“The "galley slaves" in those days were the genuine article, and by the "chains that bound them" were no doubt⟳ the original members of the union.”

CEFR level