What does longship mean?
A longship is a long, narrow sailing vessel associated especially with the Vikings and other medieval Scandinavian peoples. Its shallow hull allowed it to navigate coastal waters and rivers, while its combination of sail and oars made it adaptable for exploration, trade, raiding, and warfare. Longships are often described as having a clinker-built wooden hull, a single square sail, and a shallow draft. Although popularly associated with dramatic Scandinavian voyages, the term refers to a broad type of vessel rather than one exact design. Today, longship is used in historical writing, museum displays, archaeological discussions, and descriptions of reconstructed vessels. The word remains culturally evocative because longships became closely linked with the expansion, seafaring identity, and image of Viking Scandinavia.
nounA long, narrow Scandinavian sailing ship, especially one used by the Vikings for warfare, exploration, and trade. Longships typically had a shallow draft, a single square sail, and a clinker-built wooden hull.
- A long, narrow Scandinavian sailing ship, especially a Viking warship.
"The museum's replica longship carried a small crew across the harbour during the festival."
"The discovery of a longship burial shed new light on Viking maritime culture."
"Children learned how to steer a longship during the museum's interactive exhibition."
The regular plural is longships.
"The archaeologists identified the remains as those of several longships."
The longship was the Vikings' great all-purpose vessel: warship, cargo ship, exploration craft, and sometimes the vehicle of legendary journeys.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does longship come from?
The word comes from Old Norse langskip, formed from langr, meaning “long,” and skip, meaning “ship.” The English words ship and skip are related in origin, although skip now most commonly means a small jump or a type of container. Longship entered English as a name for the long Scandinavian vessels associated with Viking maritime activity.
Related word forms
How longship is actually used
The term is most closely associated with Viking-era Scandinavian vessels, although it is also used more broadly for comparable longships. Modern uses often refer to replicas, museum vessels, or historical reenactments.