galley slave

plural galley slaves · alternative galley-slave · alternative galleyslave

1. historicalnauticalA slave who rows in a galley (type of ship).

   "What are gurapas?" asked Don Quixote. "Gurapas are galleys," responded the galley slave.

   Part 1 published in 1605, Part 2 in 1615, translated in 2003, Miguel de Cervantes and translated by Edith Grossman, Don Quixote, page 164

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   "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."

   1885, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, chapter XXII, in John Ormsby, transl., The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha […] In Four Vols, volume I, London: Smith, Elder & Co. […], →OCLC, part I, page 346

   Synonyms: gallerian

2. obsoleteslangA typesetter (person who arranged type in a galley for printing).

   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.

   1905, American Printer and Bookmaker: Jan.-Feb. 1900, page 443