noun
Viking
VEYE-kihng
noun
1
A Scandinavian seafarer of the 8th to 11th centuries, especially one who raided or traded across Europe.
"The museum's new exhibit features an actual Viking longship."
"Vikings settled parts of England, Ireland, and even Newfoundland."
2
A stock fantasy or pop-culture character type: a burly warrior with an axe and a horned helmet.
"He dressed up as a viking for the medieval fair, horned helmet and all."
How to Use Viking
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA Scandinavian raider or seafarer from the early medieval period — or the popular, horned-helmet image of one (which is actually historically inaccurate).
Common mistake
Real Vikings didn't wear horned helmets — that image is a 19th-century invention, not historical fact.
Common pairings
Viking raid
Viking longship
Viking Age
Word Forms
Vikings plural
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The museum's new exhibit features an actual _____ longship.
Etymology
From Old Norse víkingr, itself from vík ("inlet, bay") plus a suffix meaning "one belonging to" — roughly, "one who raids from the inlets."