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• van
  van

  noun

  the foremost or front division of an army, a fleet, or any group leading an advance or in position to lead an advance.
• Van
  Van

  noun

  Lake, a salt lake in E Turkey. 1,454 sq. mi. (3,766 sq. km).

van

¹ American  

[van] / væn /

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.

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van ² American  

[van] / væn /

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.

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verb (used with object)

vanned, vanning

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

verb (used without object)

vanned, vanning

1. to travel in a van.

van ³ American  

[van, vahn] / væn, vɑn /

Or Van

preposition

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

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van ⁴ American  

[van] / væn /

noun

Archaic.

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

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Van ⁵ American  

[van, vahn] / væn, vɑn /

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.

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van ¹ British  

/ 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

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Van ² British  

/ vɑːn /

noun

1. a city in E Turkey, on Lake Van. Pop: 377 000 (2005 est)

2. 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)

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van ³ British  

/ væn /

noun

1. any device for winnowing corn

2. an archaic or poetic word for wing

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van ⁴ British  

/ væn /

noun

1. short for vanguard

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van ⁵ British  

/ væn /

noun

1. Usual US and Canadian word: ad. short for advantage

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Etymology

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

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Explanation

A van is a roomy vehicle with a boxy shape that's useful for transporting extra people or extra stuff. If you're moving some furniture across town, your mom's van will come in handy. There are many kinds of vans, from commercial vans that deliver appliances to airport vans that transport hotel guests and their luggage to the small vans parked in many suburban driveways. A less common meaning of van is "forefront," and this meaning is usually used when talking about military movement: "The general was at the van of the troops as they surged forward." The vehicle definition comes from caravan, "large covered carriage used for conveying passengers."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

van Van vanned vanning

A large sinkhole swallowed part of a Los Feliz street and a parked work van after a water main break sent a torrent gushing down Normandie Avenue Wednesday morning, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Near the exhibit’s end, Philips van den Bossche’s panoramic 1606 print of Prague highlights the city’s towers, spires and bridges, with its ledger identifying the Cathedral of St. Vitus in particular.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"There is momentum for climate litigation in the courts," Dennis van Berkel of the Climate Litigation Network, which supports legal action against states and corporations, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Unable to open the door, the maintenance man had gone downstairs to his van to get a screwdriver which enabled him to unlock the door which had a childproof button on it.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

He’s loading birds in cages into the back of the van.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Musician and actor Steven Van Zandt is ready to part with his Greenwich Village penthouse, hiking the price up to a cool $18,995,000 after initially listing it for $15 million in June of this year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

The government has announced the identity of one dead soldier, squad leader Huynh Van Quen who fought in 1968 and whose remains were found in Le Thi Rieng Park, according to state media.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Cooke and her lawyers have increasingly called out Van Orden for posting AI-generated deepfakes of Cooke on social media.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026

Dylan Williams owns van-driving business Van & I of Monmouth, Wales and regularly operates in the Forest of Dean, Stroud and South Gloucestershire.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

‘I hope it with all my heart. But, for now, we have to live our lives here – the lives we’ve been given by the Van de Bergs.’

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Jockey Jesus Castanon pulled her up passing the 3/16th pole and she was vanned off, Equibase race chart notes stated.

From Washington Times ● May 28, 2023

In the Pat Day Mile, Freezing Point, also ridden by Lanerie, was pulled up in the chute shortly after the start of the race and was vanned off.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2023

In the Pat Day Mile race, Freezing Points was pulled up in the chute shortly after the start of the race, vanned off and later given a lethal injection.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2023

Spun Intended was pulled up in front of the grandstand by jockey Mike Smith and vanned off.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2023

Smith, preparing to take his Kayak east, vanned Seabiscuit to Ridgewood, said his good-byes, and left him in Pollard’s care.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

The proposal would also help pay for the cost of vanning horses and relocation expenses for horsemen, including grooms and trainers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024

The short answer is that vanning has become an American craze.

From Time Magazine Archive

In fact, vanning enthusiasts include a good many old coots as well as young marrieds, loners and lovers as well as adolescents.

From Time Magazine Archive

News of ever fresh extravagances circulates in 25 or so magazines devoted to vanning.

From Time Magazine Archive

His first test was made with the ordinary "vanning shovel," his second with the aid of chemicals.

From The Squire's Daughter by Silas K(itto) Hocking

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