A gallery is a room or building where art is displayed for people to look at and appreciate. When you visit an art gallery, you might see paintings hung on white walls, sculptures on pedestals, or photographs in frames. Some galleries are part of large museums, while others are smaller spaces run by individual dealers or artists.

Gallery also means the highest balcony in a theater, typically the cheapest seats farthest from the stage. In old theaters, this section was sometimes called “the peanut gallery” because people sitting there might eat peanuts and even throw the shells. When someone tells you to ignore “the peanut gallery,” they mean don't worry about critics who aren't really paying close attention.

In a completely different context, a gallery can be an underground tunnel or passage, like the galleries that miners dig to reach deposits of coal or ore. You might also hear about a “rogues' gallery,” which originally meant a police collection of photographs showing known criminals, but now refers to any group of notable troublemakers or colorful characters.