Viking

American  

[vahy-king] / ˈvaɪ kɪŋ /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. any of the Scandinavian pirates who plundered the coasts of Europe from the 8th to 10th centuries.

2. a sea-roving bandit; pirate.

3. a Scandinavian.

4. U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of space probes that obtained scientific information about Mars.

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Viking British  

/ ˈvaɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called: Norseman.   Northman.  any of the Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes who raided by sea most of N and W Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries, later often settling, as in parts of Britain

2. any sea rover, plunderer, or pirate

3. either of two unmanned American spacecraft that reached Mars in 1976

4. (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a Viking or Vikings

   a Viking ship

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Etymology

Origin of Viking

1800–10; < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse vīkingr; compare Old English wīcing pirate; etymology disputed

Example Sentences

Lilly, in the firm’s view, is one of the clear winners, alongside smaller players Viking Therapeutics and Structure Therapeutics, which are at work developing their own weight-loss drug candidates.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Its origins are a mystery, but it was thought to have been made on Iona before being taken to Kells in Ireland by monks who survived a Viking attack on the Hebridean isle.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The setup of this animated film sounds like a gag: A Viking, a ninja and a World War II pilot are thrown into a Predator movie that plays like a grisly triptych.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Viking Holdings VIK -5.10%decrease; red down pointing triangle reported higher fourth-quarter profit and said it was seeing strong bookings for 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

The Viking lander extends human capabilities to other and alien landscapes.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan