1
a
: a usually enclosed wagon or motortruck used for transportation of goods or animals
also
: caravan sense 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
1
dialectal, England
: a winnowing device (such as a fan)
2
Synonyms
Examples of van in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
An officer holds the phones and passports of the travelers, keeping them secure as their owners climb into a van to take them to the city.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Betancur has visited Eastern Europe three times, building ovens at Ukrainian bakeries, purchasing a bakery van and directly feeding Ukrainian refugees.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 12 Apr. 2024
Hollis was ten months old, her Pack ’n Play stowed in the back of the van amid the instrument cases and sundry gear.
—Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024
The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Officials did not say who was driving the van at the time of the wreck or whether they were hurt in the crash.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
An officer grabbed Özer, and the young CEO, now wearing a white polo shirt, was handcuffed, escorted down a short flight of stairs, shuttled into an unmarked white van, and driven into the night.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Quick Read Deep Read ( 4 Min. ) April 1, 2024 Madrid
As the rest of the city heads out on a Friday evening, Alfredo Paniagua dons a lime-green vest, loads his 180-pound telescope into a van, and drives into the center of Madrid.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
This little Sundance-darling-that-could is as quirky and charming as the yellow Volkswagon van the Hoovers use for their road trip to California.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023
Natalee Holloway's Mom Reveals How Joran van der Sloot Killed Her Daughter in 2005 (Exclusive)
Van der Sloot, 36, was temporarily extradited to Alabama in June to face extortion and wire fraud charges in a case connected to Natalee’s 2005 disappearance.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
Noun
At least some of the individuals arrested were loaded into a Kansas City police van.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
An officer holds the phones and passports of the travelers, keeping them secure as their owners climb into a van to take them to the city.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Betancur has visited Eastern Europe three times, building ovens at Ukrainian bakeries, purchasing a bakery van and directly feeding Ukrainian refugees.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 12 Apr. 2024
Hollis was ten months old, her Pack ’n Play stowed in the back of the van amid the instrument cases and sundry gear.
—Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024
The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Officials did not say who was driving the van at the time of the wreck or whether they were hurt in the crash.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
An officer grabbed Özer, and the young CEO, now wearing a white polo shirt, was handcuffed, escorted down a short flight of stairs, shuttled into an unmarked white van, and driven into the night.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Quick Read Deep Read ( 4 Min. ) April 1, 2024 Madrid
As the rest of the city heads out on a Friday evening, Alfredo Paniagua dons a lime-green vest, loads his 180-pound telescope into a van, and drives into the center of Madrid.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
Many Del Mar trainers stable and train their horses at San Luis Rey Downs, which can handle up to 500 horses, and van them to the track for races.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
This little Sundance-darling-that-could is as quirky and charming as the yellow Volkswagon van the Hoovers use for their road trip to California.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023
Natalee Holloway's Mom Reveals How Joran van der Sloot Killed Her Daughter in 2005 (Exclusive)
Van der Sloot, 36, was temporarily extradited to Alabama in June to face extortion and wire fraud charges in a case connected to Natalee’s 2005 disappearance.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'van.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/van. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
van
2 of 2 noun1
: a usually closed wagon or truck for transporting goods or animals
2
: an enclosed motor vehicle shaped like a box that is used for a variety of purposes and has rear or side doors and side panels often with windows
Etymology
Noun
a shortened form of vanguard
Noun
a shortened form of caravan "vehicle"
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