Găl'le-on, n.

n. [Sp. galeon, It. galeone, Fr. galion, L. Lat. galeo, galio. See GALLEY.] (Naut.) A large ship, with three or four decks, formerly used by the Spaniards as a man-of-war, as in the Armada; and also in commerce, as between Spain and her colonies in America.

The galleons . . . were huge, round-stemmed, clumsy vessels, with bulwarks three or four feet thick, and built up at stem and stern, like castles. Motley.