Galley slave

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A slave who rows in a galley (type of ship). historical

    ""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.""

  2. 2
    a laborer who is obliged to do menial work wordnet
  3. 3
    A typesetter (person who arranged type in a galley for printing). obsolete, slang

    "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."

  4. 4
    a slave condemned to row in a galley wordnet

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