Noun: galley slave ga-lee sleyv
- A slave condemned to row in a galley
"The captured prisoners were sentenced to life as galley slaves"
- [informal] A labourer who is obliged to do menial work
"The galley slave toiled endlessly at his oar";
- drudge, peon [N. Amer], navvy [Brit, informal]
Derived forms: galley slaves
Type of: jack, laborer [US], labourer [Brit, Cdn], manual laborer [US], manual labourer [Brit, Cdn], slave
Encyclopedia: Galley slave