any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries
"The Viking sailed his longship down the Seine River, raiding the monasteries along the French coast."
One of the Scandinavian or other Northern European seafaring warriors that raided (and then settled) the British Isles and other parts of Europe in the 8ᵗʰ to the 11ᵗʰ centuries and, according to many historians, were the first Europeans to reach North America.
"The term viking is often used as an alternative letter-case form of Viking when referring to a Norse warrior in lowercase contexts."
Alternative letter-case form of Viking
In plain English: A viking is an ancient Scandinavian warrior and explorer who raided coastal areas during the Middle Ages.
"The museum exhibit featured replicas of ancient viking ships and weapons used by Norse warriors."
A sea area between Scotland and Norway
"The ancient map labeled the dangerous waters north of England as the viking, marking it as a treacherous stretch between Scotland and Norway."
The word "viking" comes from Old Norse víkingr, which literally meant a person who frequented coastal inlets and coves. It traveled into English through Old English and Frisian before being borrowed again in the 19th century after falling out of use during the Middle Ages.