van

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

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.  [1913 Webster]
"Standards and gonfalons, twixt van and rear,
Stream in the air."  [1913 Webster]

van, n. [Cornish.].

 A shovel used in cleansing ore.  [1913 Webster]

van, v. t. 

 To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.  Raymond.  [1913 Webster]

van, n. [Abbreviated from caravan.].

•  A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and others for the transportation of goods.  [1913 Webster]
•  A large covered wagon for moving furniture, etc., also for conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition.  [1913 Webster]
•  A closed railway car for baggage. See the Note under Car, 2.  [1913 Webster]

van, n. [L. vannus a van, or fan for winnowing grain: cf. F. van. Cf. Fan, Van a wing Winnow.].

•  A fan or other contrivance, as a sieve, for winnowing grain.  [1913 Webster]
•  A wing with which the air is beaten.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "He wheeled in air, and stretched his vans in vain;
  His vans no longer could his flight sustain."  [1913 Webster]

van, v. t. [Cf. F. vanner to winnow, to fan. See Van a winnowing machine.].

 To fan, or to cleanse by fanning; to winnow.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

van, 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.

van, n.
1 a vanguard.
2 the forefront (in the van of progress).

van, 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.

van, n. Brit. Tennis colloq. = ADVANTAGE.

Etymology

abbr.

THESAURUS

van

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

ROGET THESAURUS

van

Beginning

N beginning, commencement, opening, outset, incipience, inception, inchoation, introduction, alpha, initial, inauguration, debut, le premier pas, embarcation, rising of the curtain, maiden speech, outbreak, onset, brunt, initiative, move, first move, narrow end of the wedge, thin end of the wedge, fresh start, new departure, origin, source, rise, bud, germ, egg, rudiment, genesis, primogenesis, birth, nativity, cradle, infancy, start, inception, creation, starting point, dawn, evolution, title-page, head, heading, van, caption, fatihah, entrance, entry, inlet, orifice, mouth, chops, lips, porch, portal, portico, propylon, door, gate, gateway, postern, wicket, threshold, vestibule, propylaeum, skirts, border, first stage, first blush, first glance, first impression, first sight, rudiments, elements, outlines, grammar, alphabet, ABC, beginning, initial, initiatory, initiative, inceptive, introductory, incipient, proemial, inaugural, inchoate, inchoative, embryonic, rudimental, primogenial, primeval, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, natal, nascent, first, foremost, leading, maiden, begun, just begun, at the beginning, in the beginning first, in the first place, imprimis, first and foremost, in limine, in the bud, in embryo, in its infancy, from the beginning, from its birth, ab initio, ab ovo, ab incunabilis, ab origine, let's get going!, let's get this show on the road!, up and at 'em!, aller Anfang ist schwer, dimidium facti qui coepit habet, omnium rerum principia parva sunt.

Front

N front, fore, forepart, foreground, face, disk, disc, frontage, facade, proscenium, facia, frontispiece, anteriority, obverse (of a medal or coin), fore rank, front rank, van, vanguard, advanced guard, outpost, first line, scout, brow, forehead, visage, physiognomy, phiz, countenance, mut, rostrum, beak, bow, stem, prow, prore, jib, pioneer, metoposcopy, fore, anterior, front, frontal, before, in front, in the van, in advance, ahead, right ahead, forehead, foremost, in the foreground, in the lee of, before one's face, before one's eyes, face to face, vis-a-vis, front a front, formosa muta commendatio est, frons est animi janua, Human face divine, imago animi vultus est indices oculi, sea of upturned faces.

Journey

N journey, travel, traveling, wayfaring, campaigning, journey, excursion, expedition, tour, trip, grand tour, circuit, peregrination, discursion, ramble, pilgrimage, hajj, trek, course, ambulation, march, walk, promenade, constitutional, stroll, saunter, tramp, jog trot, turn, stalk, perambulation, noctambulation, noctambulism, somnambulism, outing, ride, drive, airing, jaunt, equitation, horsemanship, riding, manege, ride and tie, basophobia, roving, vagrancy, pererration, marching and countermarching, nomadism, vagabondism, vagabondage, hoboism, gadding, flit, flitting, migration, emigration, immigration, demigration, intermigration, wanderlust, plan, itinerary, guide, handbook, guidebook, road book, Baedeker, Bradshaw, Murray, map, road map, transportation guide, subway map, procession, cavalcade, caravan, file, cortege, column, vehicle, automobile, train, bus, airplane, plane, autobus, omnibus, subway, motorbike, dirt bike, off-road vehicle, van, minivan, motor scooter, trolley, locomotive, legs, feet, pegs, pins, trotters, traveler, depot, railway station, station, traveling, ambulatory, itinerant, peripatetic, roving, rambling, gadding, discursive, vagrant, migratory, monadic, circumforanean, circumforaneous, noctivagrant, mundivagrant, locomotive, wayfaring, wayworn, travel-stained, on foot, on horseback, on Shanks's mare, by the Marrowbone stage: in transitu, en route, Int, come along!.

Vehicle

N vehicle, conveyance, carriage, caravan, van, common carrier, wagon, waggon, wain, dray, cart, lorry, truck, tram, cariole, carriole, limber, tumbrel, pontoon, barrow, wheel barrow, hand barrow, perambulator, Bath chair, wheel chair, sedan chair, chaise, palankeen, palanquin, litter, brancard, crate, hurdle, stretcher, ambulance, black Maria, conestoga wagon, conestoga wain, jinrikisha, ricksha, brett, dearborn, dump cart, hack, hackery, jigger, kittereen, mailstate, manomotor, rig, rockaway, prairie schooner, shay, sloven, team, tonga, wheel, hobbyhorse, go-cart, cycle, bicycle, bike, two-wheeler, tricycle, velocipede, quadricycle, equipage, turn-out, coach, chariot, phaeton, break, mail phaeton, wagonette, drag, curricle, tilbury, whisky, landau, barouche, victoria, brougham, clarence, calash, caleche, britzka, araba, kibitka, berlin, sulky, desobligeant, sociable, vis-a-vis, dormeuse, jaunting car, outside car, dandi, doolie, dooly, munchil, palki, roller skates, skate, runabout, ski, tonjon, vettura, post chaise, diligence, stage, stage coach, mail coach, hackney coach, glass coach, stage wagon, car, omnibus, fly, cabriolet, cab, hansom, shofle, four-wheeler, growler, droshki, drosky, dogcart, trap, whitechapel, buggy, four-in-hand, unicorn, random, tandem, shandredhan, char-a-bancs, motor car, automobile, limousine, car, auto, jalopy, clunker, lemon, flivver, coupe, sedan, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, luxury sedan, wheels, sports car, roadster, gran turismo, jeep, four-wheel drive vehicle, electric car, steamer, golf cart, electric wagon, taxicab, cab, taxicoach, checker cab, yellow cab, station wagon, family car, motorcycle, motor bike, side car, van, minivan, bus, minibus, microbus, truck, wagon, pick-up wagon, pick-up, tractor- trailer, road train, articulated vehicle, racing car, racer, hot rod, stock car, souped-up car, bob, bobsled, bobsleigh, cutter, double ripper, double runner, jumper, sled, sledge, sleigh, toboggan, train, accommodation train, passenger train, express trail, special train, corridor train, parliamentary train, luggage train, freight train, goods train, 1st class train, 2nd class train, 3rd class train, 1st class carriage, 2nd class carriage, 3rd class carriage, 1st class compartment, 2nd class compartment, 3rd class compartment, rolling stock, horse box, cattle truck, baggage car, express car, freight car, parlor car, dining car, Pullman car, sleeping car, sleeper, dome car, surface car, tram car, trolley car, box car, box wagon, horse car, bullet train, shinkansen, cannonball, the Wabash cannonball, lightning express, luggage van, mail, mail car, mail van, shovel, spool, spatula, ladle, hod, hoe, spade, spaddle, loy, spud, pitchfork, post hole digger, tractor, steamshovel, backhoe, fork lift, earth mover, dump truck, bulldozer, grader, caterpillar, trench digger, steamroller, pile driver, crane, wrecking crane, vehicle, conveyance, carriage, caravan, van, common carrier, wagon, waggon, wain, dray, cart, lorry, truck, tram, cariole, carriole, limber, tumbrel, pontoon, barrow, wheel barrow, hand barrow, perambulator, Bath chair, wheel chair, sedan chair, chaise, palankeen, palanquin, litter, brancard, crate, hurdle, stretcher, ambulance, black Maria, conestoga wagon, conestoga wain, jinrikisha, ricksha, brett, dearborn, dump cart, hack, hackery, jigger, kittereen, mailstate, manomotor, rig, rockaway, prairie schooner, shay, sloven, team, tonga, wheel, hobbyhorse, go-cart, cycle, bicycle, bike, two-wheeler, tricycle, velocipede, quadricycle, equipage, turn-out, coach, chariot, phaeton, break, mail phaeton, wagonette, drag, curricle, tilbury, whisky, landau, barouche, victoria, brougham, clarence, calash, caleche, britzka, araba, kibitka, berlin, sulky, desobligeant, sociable, vis-a-vis, dormeuse, jaunting car, outside car, dandi, doolie, dooly, munchil, palki, roller skates, skate, runabout, ski, tonjon, vettura, post chaise, diligence, stage, stage coach, mail coach, hackney coach, glass coach, stage wagon, car, omnibus, fly, cabriolet, cab, hansom, shofle, four-wheeler, growler, droshki, drosky, dogcart, trap, whitechapel, buggy, four-in-hand, unicorn, random, tandem, shandredhan, char-a-bancs, motor car, automobile, limousine, car, auto, jalopy, clunker, lemon, flivver, coupe, sedan, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, luxury sedan, wheels, sports car, roadster, gran turismo, jeep, four-wheel drive vehicle, electric car, steamer, golf cart, electric wagon, taxicab, cab, taxicoach, checker cab, yellow cab, station wagon, family car, motorcycle, motor bike, side car, van, minivan, bus, minibus, microbus, truck, wagon, pick-up wagon, pick-up, tractor- trailer, road train, articulated vehicle, racing car, racer, hot rod, stock car, souped-up car, bob, bobsled, bobsleigh, cutter, double ripper, double runner, jumper, sled, sledge, sleigh, toboggan, train, accommodation train, passenger train, express trail, special train, corridor train, parliamentary train, luggage train, freight train, goods train, 1st class train, 2nd class train, 3rd class train, 1st class carriage, 2nd class carriage, 3rd class carriage, 1st class compartment, 2nd class compartment, 3rd class compartment, rolling stock, horse box, cattle truck, baggage car, express car, freight car, parlor car, dining car, Pullman car, sleeping car, sleeper, dome car, surface car, tram car, trolley car, box car, box wagon, horse car, bullet train, shinkansen, cannonball, the Wabash cannonball, lightning express, luggage van, mail, mail car, mail van, shovel, spool, spatula, ladle, hod, hoe, spade, spaddle, loy, spud, pitchfork, post hole digger, tractor, steamshovel, backhoe, fork lift, earth mover, dump truck, bulldozer, grader, caterpillar, trench digger, steamroller, pile driver, crane, wrecking crane.

Precession

N precession, leading, heading, precedence, priority, the lead, le pas, van, precursor, leading, precedent, in advance, before, ahead, in the van, in the lead, foremost, headmost, in front, at the head, out in front, way out in front, far ahead, seniores priores, ahead of his time.