the foremost or front division of an army, a fleet, or any group leading an advance or in position to lead an advance.
those who are in the forefront of a movement or the like.
the forefront in any movement, course of progress, or the like.
a covered vehicle, usually a large truck or trailer, used for moving furniture, goods, animals, etc.
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.
British.
a railway baggage car.
a covered, boxlike railway car, as one used to carry freight.
a small, horse-drawn wagon or a small truck, as one used by tradespeople to carry light goods.
Also called van conversion. a conventional van whose cargo area has been equipped with living facilities, extra windows, and often increased headroom.
Lake, a salt lake in E Turkey. 1,454 sq. mi. (3,766 sq. km).
a town on this lake.
a male given name.
short for caravan
a covered motor vehicle for transporting goods, etc, by road
a closed railway wagon in which the guard travels, for transporting goods, mail, etc
See delivery van
a city in E Turkey, on Lake Van. Pop: 377 000 (2005 est)
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)
any device for winnowing corn
an archaic or poetic word for wing
First recorded in 1600–10; short for vanguard
First recorded in 1820–30; short for caravan
From Dutch
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, variant of fan 1
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Lunachicks had been Lunachicks for 12 years before they were able to upgrade from touring in an Econoline-style van to an RV, which feels like the height of luxury to them.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
That high press caused Lyon to wilt in the north London sunshine; mistakes contributed to both Arsenal goals, while the visitors' all-star attack didn't force Daphne van Domselaar into a single save.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
“The reality is that for internships, students have got to get in the process very early,” said Nicole van den Heuvel, executive director of Rice University’s career-development center.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
My colleague Philip van Doorn recently wrote that, despite this surge, it’s still a good time to invest in tech stocks, many of which have benefited from the rise of artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
And so it was Dr. van Veen, a couple of years later, who first discovered that Tante Jans had diabetes.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
