Norse
Americanadjective
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of or relating to ancient Scandinavia, its inhabitants, or their language.
noun
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(used with a plural verb) the Norwegians, especially the ancient Norwegians.
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(used with a plural verb) the Northmen or ancient Scandinavians generally.
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the Norwegian language, especially in its older forms.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient and medieval Scandinavia or its inhabitants
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of, relating to, or characteristic of Norway
noun
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the N group of Germanic languages, spoken in Scandinavia; Scandinavian
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any one of these languages, esp in their ancient or medieval forms See also Proto-Norse Old Norse
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(functioning as plural)
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the Norwegians
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the Vikings
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Other Word Forms
- non-Norse adjectivenon-Norse
- pre-Norse adjective
Etymology
Origin of Norse
1590–1600; perhaps < Dutch noorsch, obsolete variant of noordsch (now noords ), equivalent to noord north + -sch -ish 1. Compare Norwegian, Swedish, Danish Norsk Norwegian, Norse
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The partnership between ravens and wolves goes back to Norse mythology -- Odin's birds scouted ahead and led prey to the god's canines, a relationship that provided food for all.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Now, as this Norse god drops the hammer on opponents, Norwegians can’t get enough of him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
The Norse stayed there for decades if not centuries, making the region part of an ocean-spanning empire governed from Norway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
According to scholars of Scandinavian studies, many widely held beliefs about Vikings and Old Norse paganism cannot be confirmed through modern scientific methods.
From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2025
While those questions of proximate cause remain unanswered, the ultimate reasons why Norse colonization of Greenland and America failed are abundantly clear.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
