1. narrow warships with oars and a single sail used by Vikings and other medieval Scandinavian peoples
Usage: historical; nautical

Examples

• The Vikings sailed their longships across the North Sea to raid coastal settlements.
• Archaeological evidence shows that longships were remarkably seaworthy vessels.
• The museum’s exhibit featured a replica of a medieval longship.
• Longships were designed for both river navigation and ocean voyages.
• The shallow draft of longships allowed Vikings to travel far inland via rivers.
• Norse longships typically carried crews of 20 to 60 warriors.