CEFR B1

viking

noun

Meaning

A Scandinavian warrior or pirate who raided and traded in Europe during the late 8th to late 11th centuries.

Examples

  • The Viking Age is often considered to have begun with the raid on the Lindisfarne monastery in 793 AD.
  • Many Viking settlements were established in Britain and Ireland.

Synonyms: Norseman, pirate, raider

Phrases for viking

Natural phrases and collocations with viking. See examples, avoid awkward combinations, and learn how to use viking in context. A Scandinavian warrior or pirate who raided and traded in Europe during the late 8th to late 11th centuries.

Period and people

Viking is capitalized when it refers to the historical people, their period, or their culture.

  • the Viking Age (historical term): The period of Scandinavian expansion, usually dated from the late eighth to eleventh century. The town became an important port during the Viking Age.
  • Viking warrior (noun phrase): A warrior from Viking-age Scandinavia. The grave may have belonged to a Viking warrior.
  • Viking culture (noun phrase): The customs, beliefs, art, and daily life of Viking-age Scandinavia. The museum explores trade as well as warfare in Viking culture.

Ships, travel, and settlement

These combinations are common in history writing about travel, trade, raids, and settlement.

  • Viking ship (noun phrase): A ship built and used in Viking-age Scandinavia. Archaeologists reconstructed the Viking ship from surviving timbers.
  • Viking raid (noun phrase): A sudden attack carried out by Viking groups. The monastery was damaged during a Viking raid.
  • Viking settlement (noun phrase): A community established by Viking settlers. Excavations revealed a Viking settlement near the coast.
  • Viking explorer (noun phrase): A Viking-age traveler associated with exploration. The exhibition follows the route of a Viking explorer across the Atlantic.

Sentence frames

  • during the Viking Age: Place an event or development within the historical period. Trade routes expanded during the Viking Age.
  • evidence of a Viking + noun: Use this in historical and archaeological descriptions. The team found evidence of a Viking settlement.

See the full dictionary entry for viking