van

a smaller boxlike vehicle that resembles a panel truck, often has double doors both at the rear and along the curb side, and that can be used as a truck, fitted with rows of seats, or equipped with living quarters for traveling and camping.

British.

a railway baggage car.

a covered, boxlike railway car, as one used to carry freight.

a small, horse-drawn wagon or a small truck, as one used by tradespeople to carry light goods.

Also called van conversion. a conventional van whose cargo area has been equipped with living facilities, extra windows, and often increased headroom.

verb (used with object)

to transport or carry (freight, passengers, etc.) in a van.

verb (used without object)

to travel in a van.

Origin:
1820–30; short for caravan

00:10

Van is always a great word to know.

So is interrobang. Does it mean:

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

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preposition (often initial capital letter)

from; of (used in Dutch personal names, originally to indicate place of origin).

Origin:
< Dutch

noun

a wing.

Origin:
1400–50;late Middle English, variant of fan¹

noun

a salt lake in E Turkey. 1454 sq. mi. (3766 sq. km).

a town on this lake.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To van

Collins

World English Dictionary

van¹ (væn)

—n
1.	short for caravan
2.	a covered motor vehicle for transporting goods, etc, by road
3.	(Brit) a closed railway wagon in which the guard travels, for transporting goods, mail, etc
4.	(Brit) See delivery van

van² (væn)

—n
	short for vanguard

van³ (væn)

—n
	short for advantage Usual US and Canadian word: ad

van⁴ (væn)

—n
1.	any device for winnowing corn
2.	an archaic or poetic word for wing

[C17: variant of fan¹]

Van (vɑːn)

—n
1.	a city in E Turkey, on Lake Van. Pop: 377 000 (2005 est)
2.	Lake Van a salt lake in E Turkey, at an altitude of 1650 m (5400 ft): fed by melting snow and glaciers. Area: 3737 sq km (1433 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

van

"front part of an army or other advancing group," 1610, shortening of vanguard.

van

"covered truck or wagon," 1829, shortening of caravan.

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