Viking

[ vahy-king ]
/ ˈvaɪ kɪŋ /

noun (sometimes lowercase)

any of the Scandinavian pirates who plundered the coasts of Europe from the 8th to 10th centuries.
a sea-roving bandit; pirate.
a Scandinavian.
U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of space probes that obtained scientific information about Mars.

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Origin of Viking

1800–10; < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse vīkingr; compare Old English wīcing pirate; etymology disputed
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to vikings

rover, corsair, pirate, spoiler, freebooter

Example sentences from the Web for vikings

British Dictionary definitions for vikings

Viking
/ (ˈvaɪkɪŋ) /

noun (sometimes not capital)

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
any sea rover, plunderer, or pirate
either of two unmanned American spacecraft that reached Mars in 1976
(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a Viking or Vikingsa Viking ship

Word Origin for Viking

C19: from Old Norse vīkingr, probably from vīk creek, sea inlet + -ingr (see -ing ³); perhaps related to Old English wīc camp
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

Cultural definitions for vikings

Vikings

Warriors from Scandinavia who raided much of coastal Europe in the eighth to tenth centuries. The Vikings traveled in boats with high bows and sterns, carefully designed for either rough seas or calm waters. Eventually some Vikings settled in the countries they plundered and established new societies.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.