van

¹

[ van ]

noun

1. the foremost or front division of an army, a fleet, or any group leading an advance or in position to lead an advance.
2. those who are in the forefront of a movement or the like.
3. the forefront in any movement, course of progress, or the like.

van

²

[ van ]

noun

1. a covered vehicle, usually a large truck or trailer, used for moving furniture, goods, animals, etc.
2. a smaller boxlike vehicle that resembles a panel truck, often has double doors both at the rear and along the curb side, and that can be used as a truck, fitted with rows of seats, or equipped with living quarters for traveling and camping.
3. British.
   1. a railway baggage car.
   2. a covered, boxlike railway car, as one used to carry freight.
   3. a small, horse-drawn wagon or a small truck, as one used by tradespeople to carry light goods.
4. Also called van conversion. a conventional van whose cargo area has been equipped with living facilities, extra windows, and often increased headroom.

verb (used with object)

, vanned, van·ning.

1. to transport or carry (freight, passengers, etc.) in a van.

verb (used without object)

, vanned, van·ning.

1. to travel in a van.

van

³

or Van

[ van; Dutch vahn ]

preposition

1. from; of (used in Dutch personal names, originally to indicate place of origin).

van

⁴

[ van ]

noun

, Archaic.

1. a bird's wing or tail, especially when fanned out, as in flight or as part of a mating display.

Van

⁵

[ van; Turkish vahn ]

noun

1. Lake, a salt lake in E Turkey. 1,454 sq. mi. (3,766 sq. km).
2. a town on this lake.
3. a male given name.

van

¹

/ væn /

noun

1. any device for winnowing corn
2. an archaic or poetic word for wing

van

²

/ væn /

noun

1. short for vanguard

van

³

/ væn /

noun

1. short for advantage Usual US and Canadian wordad

Van

⁴

/ vɑːn /

noun

1. a city in E Turkey, on Lake Van. Pop: 377 000 (2005 est)
2. Lake Van
   a salt lake in E Turkey, at an altitude of 1650 m (5400 ft): fed by melting snow and glaciers. Area: 3737 sq km (1433 sq miles)

van

⁵

/ væn /

noun

1. short for caravan
2. a covered motor vehicle for transporting goods, etc, by road
3. a closed railway wagon in which the guard travels, for transporting goods, mail, etc
4. See delivery van

Word History and Origins

Origin of van¹

First recorded in 1600–10; short for vanguard

Origin of van²

First recorded in 1820–30; short for caravan

Origin of van³

From Dutch

Origin of van⁴

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, variant of fan ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of van¹

C17: variant of fan ¹

Example Sentences

"Johan van Veen did not think in years, but in generations; he had deep knowledge of natural processes; and he had an appealing vision for the future."

From Science Daily

Milhouse van Houten has been a popular recurring character on the sitcom for the past 35 years, and is Bart Simpson's best friend.

From BBC

The gravity of the situation hit him as he locked up his van outside Digbeth police station.

From BBC

The company currently makes diesel engines for vans at its Dagenham factory in Essex.

From BBC

A woman who died after falling from a moving van had acted intentionally, an inquest has heard.

From BBC

Related Words

• camper
• cart
• truck
• wagon