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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

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

The front end of the van could be seen sliding into the sinkhole, as water continued to gush out from the ground.

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

A call comes in over the radio about a stolen Ford Transit van.

From BBC ● 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

"That's how it worked out," Mrs. Fayne said as she pulled the van into the supermarket parking lot.

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

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

Doan Van Cong, 68, and his family spent years touring cemeteries and talking to witnesses to discover what happened to his uncle, who died in 1950, when he was in his early 20s.

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

Mr. Van Deusen is the last teacher to enter.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Midnight Empress was pulled up by jockey Javier Castellano in the ninth race on May 28 and vanned off by equine ambulance, according to the New York Gaming Commission.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

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

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

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2023

The race was not without its moment of serious concern when Epicenter was pulled up on the backstretch and vanned off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2022

Trouble dogged him from the moment he was vanned into Santa Anita.

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

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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

The paradoxical realities of vanning suggest another possibility.

From Time Magazine Archive

The weighed portion of the ore is placed on the vanning shovel.

From A Text-book of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines. by Cornelius Beringer

Related Words

• camper
• cart
• truck
• wagon