Van

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /væn/

Definitions

1. A large motor vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people, typically with a boxy shape and rear or side doors for loading
2. A vehicle designed primarily for transporting cargo or passengers, often characterized by a spacious interior and a boxy exterior shape
3. A type of automobile that offers a generous storage area and seating capacity, commonly employed for both business and leisure purposes

Etymology: The English "van" for a large cargo vehicle is a clipped form of an older word. Its fullest ancestor is "caravan," which came into English from French and Italian and originally meant a group of travellers journeying together, often across desert country, with their animals and goods. Over time the long word was shortened to "van," and the shorter form was applied to wheeled carriers, first horse-drawn and later motorised. A second source also feeds the word. "Vanguard," the front part of an army, was likewise shortened to "van," meaning the leading position or the forward division of a force. The sense of being at the front of something later merged with the sense of a travelling convoy, so the English word draws on two separate routes that happen to converge on one syllable.

Synonyms: vehicle, minivan, transport