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.
Last year it was Belgium’s Wout van Aert, who capitalized on Pogacar’s weariness to take the last stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
This year it was Mathieu van der Poel, the powerhouse Dutchie who spent climbing stages eating gummi bears in the back of the race while Pogacar smashed away at the front.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Micky van de Ven says Tottenham's record spending highlights a "new ambition" after an "unacceptable" season - and backed the team to play "more enjoyable" football under Roberto de Zerbi.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Ipswich have added Maeda to the arrivals of defender Issa Diop, winger Abdul Fatawu, striker Emersonn and goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Why are you so afraid of Dr. van Heerden?”
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
“We delivered continued strength across our Emerging Markets, as well as strong growth and elevated execution in our North America business,” Chief Executive Officer Dirk Van de Put said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Hunt and partner Van Hoisington run a firm in Austin that does one thing: It buys long-dated U.S. government bonds when it believes inflation is headed down, and sits on its hands when it doesn’t.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Jan Paul van Hecke, Van de Ven's Netherlands team-mate, has also joined from Brighton in a £52m deal, alongside the free transfers of experienced trio Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Van Wert says that 80% of calls to Kin Concierge, which helps families navigate the healthcare system, are from adult children who might live elsewhere and need more support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Elsie looks up at the same time as I do and we both say, “The Van Helsing twins!”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Mountain Bear, also trained by O’Brien, finished second but after the race was vanned off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 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
The paradoxical realities of vanning suggest another possibility.
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
The short answer is that vanning has become an American craze.
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 Beringer, Cornelius
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.
