Brewer's: Viking

A pirate. So called from the vik or creek in which he lurked. The word is wholly unconnected with the word “king.” There were sea-kings, sometimes, but erroneously, called “vikings,” connected with royal blood, and having small dominions on the coast. These sea-kings were often vikingr or vikings, but the reverse is not true that every viking or pirate was a sea-king. (Icelandic vikingr, a pirate.)

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