caravan

American  

[kar-uh-van] / ˈkær əˌvæn /

noun

1. a group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts, hostile territory, etc.

   Synonyms:

   band, cavalcade, train, procession, parade

2. any group traveling in or as if in a caravan and using a specific mode of transportation, as pack animals or motor vehicles.

   a caravan of trucks; a camel caravan.

3. a large covered vehicle for conveying passengers, goods, a sideshow, etc.; van.

4. Chiefly British. a house on wheels; trailer.

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verb (used with object)

caravaned, caravanned, caravaning, caravanning

1. to carry in or as if in a caravan.

   Trucks caravaned food and medical supplies to the flood's survivors.

verb (used without object)

caravaned, caravanned, caravaning, caravanning

1. to travel in or as if in a caravan.

   They caravaned through Egypt.

caravan British  

/ ˈkærəˌvæn /

noun

1. 1. US and Canadian name: trailer.  a large enclosed vehicle capable of being pulled by a car or lorry and equipped to be lived in

   2. ( as modifier )

      a caravan site

2. (esp in some parts of Asia and Africa) a company of traders or other travellers journeying together, often with a train of camels, through the desert

3. a group of wagons, pack mules, camels, etc, esp travelling in single file

4. a large covered vehicle, esp a gaily coloured one used by Romany Gypsies, circuses, etc

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verb

1. (intr) to travel or have a holiday in a caravan

Other Word Forms

• caravanist
  noun
• caravanning
  noun

Etymology

Origin of caravan

1590–1600; earlier carovan < Italian carovana < Persian kārwān

Explanation

A caravan is either a covered vehicle, like a wagon or a van, or a procession of vehicles. If you watch a parade with a long line of floats traveling one after another down the street, that's a caravan of floats. The word caravan comes from the Persian karwan meaning "group of desert travelers." A caravan can be a large group of people traveling together in one long line. It's also the term used for a camper that has a living area in it. In history, pilgrims often traveled like this, lugging all of their belongings with them in caravans, or covered horse-drawn carriages. It's also a verb: caravan with your neighbors on a group road trip.

Example Sentences

After a period of tension due to Alex challenging Melanie's theories, she did not allow him to live in her caravan and he was forced to spend six months sleeping in a tent.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

A caravan plot on a field that was allegedly concreted over illegally by travellers has been listed for sale on Facebook, the BBC has discovered.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Then around 2:08 p.m., a caravan of additional police and federal vehicles pulled up to 6th and Alvarado and scores of officers spilled out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

The caravan looked like a mile-long millipede, Whittaker wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

For now, we were a ragged caravan assembling ourselves after a long night without rest.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• cavalcade
• convoy
• expedition
• procession