Varangian

[ vuh-ran-jee-uhn ]

noun
  1. any of the Northmen who, under Rurik, established a dynasty in Russia in the 9th century.

  2. a member of the bodyguard (Varangian guard ) of the Byzantine emperors, especially in the 11th and 12th centuries, made up of Northmen, Anglo-Saxons, and other northern Europeans.

adjective
  1. of or relating to the Varangians.

Words Nearby Varangian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Varangian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Varangian

Varangian

/ (vəˈrændʒɪən) /


noun
  1. one of the Scandinavian peoples who invaded and settled parts of Russia and Ukraine from the 8th to the 11th centuries, and who formed the bodyguard of the Byzantine emperor (Varangian Guard) in the late 10th and 11th centuries

adjective
  1. of or relating to the Varangians

Origin of Varangian

1
C18: from Medieval Latin Varangus, from Medieval Greek Barangos, from Old Norse Væringi, probably from vār pledge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012