longship

noun

long·​ship ˈlȯŋ-ˌship How to pronounce longship (audio)
: a long sail and oar ship used by the Vikings

Examples of longship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The interior of the Noust is dominated by an undulating wooden ceiling that replicates the structure of local fishing boats known as yoles, offspring of the longships once used by Orkney’s Viking overlords. Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2023 Even today a Viking longship is the kind of image that arouses fear and respect. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2021 In one, the tentacles of a kraken envelop a Viking longship. Kent Russell, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 Ford was working at a standing desk, with a model of a longship resting among three screens. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022 In the reliefs above the tombs, an angel casts incense to the Hebridean winds and a bìrlinn, or Highland galley, sets sail, hauntingly similar to a Viking longship. Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2021 Your average on-foot march, horse ride, or longship charge through the Dark Ages will include some form of organic interruption. Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2020 In the horrific onslaught, those not killed outright are taken away in longships. Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020 Step aboard restored Viking longships in Oslo, and listen to Viking lore that has been passed down through the centuries. National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'longship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of longship was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near longship

Cite this Entry

“Longship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longship. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

longship

noun
long·​ship -ˌship How to pronounce longship (audio)
: a long sail and oar ship used by the Vikings

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