Adjacent Words

Van definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VAN, n. [Eng. advance, advantage. It is from the root of L. venio, the primary sense of which is to pass.]
1. The front of an army; or the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle.
2. Among farmers, a fan for winnowing grain. [This in New England is always pronounced fan, which see. But the winnowing machine has nearly superseded the use of it.
3. In mining, the cleansing of ore or tin stuff by means of a shovel.
4. A wing with which the air is beaten.
He wheel'd in air, and stretch'd his vans in vain.
VAN, v.t. To fan. [Not in use.] [See Fan.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts) [syn: avant-garde, vanguard, van, new wave]
2: the leading units moving at the head of an army [syn: vanguard, van]
3: (Great Britain) a closed railroad car that carries baggage or freight
4: a camper equipped with living quarters [syn: van, caravan]
5: a truck with an enclosed cargo space

Merriam Webster's

geographical name salt lake E Turkey in Asia area 1419 square miles (3675 square kilometers)

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin vannus — more at winnow Date: 14th century 1. dialect England a winnowing device (as a fan) 2. wing 1a II. noun Etymology: by shortening Date: 1607 vanguard III. noun Etymology: short for caravan Date: 1829 1. a. a usually enclosed wagon or motortruck used for transportation of goods or animals; also caravan 2a b. a multipurpose enclosed motor vehicle having a boxlike shape, rear or side doors, and side panels often with windows c. a detachable passenger cabin transportable by aircraft or truck 2. chiefly British an enclosed railroad freight or baggage car IV. transitive verb (vanned; vanning) Date: 1840 to transport by van

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a covered vehicle for conveying goods etc. 2 Brit. a railway carriage for luggage or for the use of the guard. 3 Brit. a gypsy caravan. Etymology: abbr. of CARAVAN 2. n. 1 a vanguard. 2 the forefront (in the van of progress). Etymology: abbr. of VANGUARD 3. n. 1 the testing of ore quality by washing on a shovel or by machine. 2 archaic a winnowing fan. 3 archaic or poet. a wing. Etymology: ME, southern & western var. of FAN(1), perh. partly f. OF van or L vannus 4. n. Brit. Tennis colloq. = ADVANTAGE. Etymology: abbr.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, n. [Cornish.] (Mining) A shovel used in cleansing ore.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, v. t. (Mining) To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel. --Raymond.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, n. [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.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, n. [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. [OF. vanne, F. vanneau beam feather (cf. It. vanno a wing) fr. L. vannus. See Etymology above.] 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, v. t. [Cf. F. vanner to winnow, to fan. See Van a winnowing machine.] To fan, or to cleanse by fanning; to winnow. [Obs.] --Bacon.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Van Van, n. [Abbrev. fr. vanguard.] 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(vans) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A van is a small or medium-sized road vehicle with one row of seats at the front and a space for carrying goods behind. N-COUNT 2. A van is a railway carriage, often without windows, which is used to carry luggage, goods, or mail. (BRIT; in AM, use baggage car, boxcar) In the guard's van lay my tin trunk. N-COUNT: usu supp N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Front (of an army or a fleet), fore-rank. 2. Covered wagon.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Madam Van; see MADAM.

Moby Thesaurus

Conestoga wagon, Pullman, Pullman car, advance guard, airhead, anteposition, armed guard, avant-garde, baggage car, bank guard, battle line, beachhead, boxcar, bridgehead, caboose, car, caravan, carriage, chair car, coach, coal car, coast guard, cordon, cordon sanitaire, covered waggon, covered wagon, day coach, diner, dinghy, dining car, drawing room, dray, farthest outpost, first line, flat, flatcar, forefront, foregoing, front, front line, front rank, front-runner, garrison, goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender, gondola, guard, guarder, guardsman, haywagon, heading, inlying picket, jailer, le pas, leading, line, local, luggage van, mail car, mail van, outguard, outpost, palace car, parlor car, passenger car, picket, pioneer, point, prairie schooner, precedence, preceding, precursor, priority, railhead, railway car, rear guard, reefer, refrigerator car, roomette, scout, security guard, sleeper, smoker, smoking car, spearhead, stockcar, tank, tender, the lead, train guard, truck, vanguard, waggon, wagon, wain, warder