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

In an interview, Jaime Horvat said she took the wine break after chopping ice for nearly two hours for the family Dodge Caravan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

The Cessna Caravan had a pilot aboard on standby, along with a flight-test engineer, but was otherwise on its own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

He bought a bedraggled old place called the Caravan Lodge and dubbed it the Phoenix, with Miss Pearl’s Jam House as its on-site restaurant and bar.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

The Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, operated by regional operator Bering Air, was travelling from Unalakleet to Nome on Thursday when it lost radar contact.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2025

It’s an old orange Dodge Caravan with a sign on the side that says: “On Delivery From Polyface Inc. Follow me to the Best Restaurants in Town.”

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• cavalcade
• convoy
• expedition
• procession