Valkyrie

noun

: any of the maidens of Odin who choose the heroes to be slain in battle and conduct them to Valhalla

Examples of Valkyrie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Amber Waterman, 45, of Pineville kidnapped Ashley Bush, who was pregnant, and caused the deaths of Bush and her unborn child -- Valkyrie. U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough sentenced Jamie Waterman to 75 months in federal prison Tuesday during a hearing in Springfield. Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 17 June 2025 Cale joins the Valkyrie’s motley crew that includes alluring human pilot Akima Kunimoto (Barrymore) and a trio of aliens: first mate Preed (Lane), astro-scientist Gune (Leguizamo), and weapons expert Stith (Garofalo). Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 June 2025 Meanwhile, as reported on by the team at Le Mans’ official site, Aston Martin’s duo of Valkyrie AMR-LMH entries were already struggling, and before completing 10 laps, were already in the last two places among the 21-car category. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 16 June 2025 This is done to prevent teams from sandbagging in the races that lead up to their most important race of the year As the newest and least competitive car, the Valkyrie gets the biggest break, with a minimum weight of just 2,271 lbs (1,030 kg) and a maximum power of 697 hp (520 kW). ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Valkyrie

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German & Old Norse; German Walküre, borrowed from Old Norse valkyrja, going back to Germanic *wala-kuzjōn- (whence Old English wælcyrige "war goddess, sorceress"), from *wala- (whence Old Norse valr "the slain," Old English wæl) + -kuzjōn-, nominal derivative from the base of *keusan- "to choose" (whence Old English cēosan) — more at valhalla, choose

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Valkyrie was in 1770

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Cite this Entry

“Valkyrie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Valkyrie. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

Valkyrie

noun
Val·​kyr·​ie
val-ˈkir-ē
: any of the maidens in Norse mythology who take slain heroes to Valhalla

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