The word galley has several meanings:

1. A type of ancient warship powered mainly by rowers. For thousands of years, from ancient Greece through the 1700s, galleys were important warships in the Mediterranean Sea. These long, narrow vessels had dozens or even hundreds of oarsmen rowing in rhythm, creating enough speed and power to ram enemy ships. Greek triremes and Roman galleys relied on human muscle and coordination rather than sails alone. Life as a galley rower was brutal: the work was exhausting, and in many cases, rowers were enslaved or convicted criminals forced to row in terrible conditions.
2. The kitchen area on a ship, airplane, or train. Even though modern ships don't use rowers anymore, they still have galleys where meals are prepared in tight, efficient spaces. An airplane galley is the small area where flight attendants prepare drinks and heat up meals.
3. In printing and publishing, a galley is a long tray that holds movable type, or a preliminary version of a page before final printing. You might hear about galley proofs, which are early printed versions that editors check for mistakes before a book goes to press.