VAN
van
(noun) a truck with an enclosed cargo space
van, caravan
(noun) a camper equipped with living quarters
van
(noun) (Great Britain) a closed railroad car that carries baggage or freight
vanguard, van
(noun) the leading units moving at the head of an army
vanguard, avant-garde, van, new wave
(noun) any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
van (plural vans)
A covered vehicle used for carrying goods or people, usually roughly cuboid in shape, longer and higher than a car but smaller than a truck/lorry.
(British) An enclosed railway vehicle for transport of goods.
(UK, dated) A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and others for the transportation of goods.
(aerospace) A large towable vehicle equipped for the repair of structures that cannot easily be moved.
Verb
van (third-person singular simple present vans, present participle vanning, simple past and past participle vanned)
(transitive) To transport in a van or similar vehicle (especially of horses).
(internet slang, used in passive voice) Of law enforcement: to arrest (not necessarily in a van; derived from party van).
Etymology 2
Noun
van (plural vans)
Clipping of vanguard.
Etymology 3
Noun
van (plural vans)
(mining) A shovel used in cleansing ore.
Verb
van (third-person singular simple present vans, present participle vanning, simple past and past participle vanned)
(mining) To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.
Etymology 4
Noun
van (plural vans)
A fan or other contrivance, such as a sieve, for winnowing grain.
A wing with which the air is beaten.
Anagrams
• AVN, NAV, nav
Etymology 1
Shortening.
Proper noun
Van
A diminutive of the male given names Vance, Ivan.
Etymology 2
Shortening.
Proper noun
Van
A diminutive of the female given name Vanessa.
Etymology 3
Proper noun
Van
A large saline tectonic lake of the Armenian Highland in eastern Turkey lakes, famous for its Chalcalburnus tarichi (syn. Alburnus tarichi) fish and the 10th century Armenian cathedral on Akhtamar Island.
A city on the shore of that lake.
Etymology 4
Proper noun
Van
Abbreviation of Vancouver.
Etymology 5
Noun
Van (plural Vans)
A Van cat.
A Turkish Van cat.
Anagrams
• AVN, NAV, nav
Noun
VAN (plural VANs)
Abbreviation of value-added network.
Proper noun
VAN
Abbreviation of Vancouver.
Synonyms
• (Vancouver): YVR
Anagrams
• AVN, NAV, nav
Source: Wiktionary
Van, n. Etym: [Abbrev. fr. vanguard.]
Definition: The front of an army; the first line or leading column; also,
the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or
in battle.
Standards and gonfalons, twixt van and rear, Stream in the air.
Milton.
Van, n. Etym: [Cornish.] (Mining)
Definition: A shovel used in cleansing ore.
Van, v. t. (Mining)
Definition: To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.
Raymond.
Van, n. Etym: [Abbreviated from caravan.]
1. A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and
others fore the transportation of goods. [Eng.]
2. A large covered wagon for moving furniture, etc., also for
conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition.
3. A close railway car for baggage. See the Note under Car, 2. [Eng.]
Van, n. Etym: [L. vannus a van, or fan for winnowing grain: cf. F.
van. Cf. Fan, Van a wing Winnow.]
1. A fan or other contrivance, as a sieve, for winnowing grain.
2. Etym: [OF. vanne, F. vanneau beam feather (cf. It. vanno a wing)
fr. L. vannus. See Etymology above.]
Definition: A wing with which the air is beaten. [Archaic] "[/Angels] on
the air plumy vans received him. " Milton.
He wheeled in air, and stretched his vans in vain; His vans no longer
could his flight sustain. Dryden.
Van, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. vanner to winnow, to fan. See Van a
winnowing machine.]
Definition: To fan, or to cleanse by fanning; to winnow. [Obs.] Bacon.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition