ENGLISH DICTIONARYMeaning
A covered motor vehicle used to carry goods or (normally less than ten) persons, usually roughly cuboid in shape, Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and longer and higher than a car but relatively smaller than a truck/lorry or a bus..
Definitions by Sense
- A covered motor vehicle used to carry goods or (normally less than ten) persons, usually roughly cuboid in shape, Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and longer and higher than a car but relatively smaller than a truck/lorry or a bus.
- (British) An enclosed railway vehicle for transport of goods, such as a boxcar/box van.
- (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.
- (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).
- Clipping of vanguard.
- (mining) A shovel used in cleansing ore.
Example Sentences
While Santa Monica has a longstanding prohibition against public camping that includes living in vehicles, the van rental business has been a problem in Venice for years. […] Organizations that provide safe parking locations have limited capacity and are often unable to accommodate the kind of non-operational vans that are being repurposed as makeshift housing.
Carbon emissions from vans in the UK have risen by 63% since 1990, new analysis shows, as cars are getting cleaner. While more people are opting to drive electric or plug-in hybrid cars, van drivers still prefer diesel because electric vans are much more expensive with little choice of models.
Designed to be fully mobile and self-contained, the complete equipment includes an air-conditioned van containing all necessary electronic gear and a flat bed trailer in which missiles, jet engines and other large assemblies may be cleaned.
I have to have a license to own them, a license to train them, my jockey has to have a license to ride them, the van company must have a license to van them, and the black shoe man must have a license to shoe them.
[They] had their own horses, but they hadn't bothered to van them over to Pine Hollow for this outing.
2015 13-year-old credited with hacking CIA director’s AOL account gives bizarre, possibly final interview
The hacker says he thinks he is about to be v&, or “vanned,” meaning being raided by law enforcement, sometime soon.
One Anon explained the reason for this, saying: "As for the domains, they were transferred to Ryan after some of us got vanned so he can keep the network up. What he did certainly wasn't the plan." (Getting "vanned" refers to getting picked up by the police.)
Word Forms
Synonyms for van
Related Words
When Should You Use Van?
Use van when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Practice This Word
Frequently Asked Questions
What does van mean?
Van means A covered motor vehicle used to carry goods or (normally less than ten) persons, usually roughly cuboid in shape, Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and longer and higher than a car but relatively smaller than a truck/lorry or a bus..
What is a synonym for van?
Common synonyms include minivan, minibus, vanguard, caravan.
What is the opposite of van?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use van in a sentence?
While Santa Monica has a longstanding prohibition against public camping that includes living in vehicles, the van rental business has been a problem in Venice for years. […] Organizations that provide safe parking locations have limited capacity and are often unable to accommodate the kind of non-operational vans that are being repurposed as makeshift housing.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.