van
UK: væn | US: væn
n. 1. A covered motor vehicle used for transporting goods or people.
n. 2. (British) A railway carriage for luggage or mail.
n. 3. (Archaic) The forefront of a movement or trend (e.g., "in the van of progress").
The word "van" is a shortened form of "caravan," which originally referred to a group of travelers journeying together (from Persian kārwān). By the 19th century, "van" emerged in English to denote a covered wagon or vehicle, later evolving into its modern sense of a transport vehicle. The archaic meaning ("forefront") derives from the military term "vanguard," where "van" similarly abbreviates "avant-garde" (French for "advance guard").
The delivery van arrived early this morning.
We rented a van for our family road trip.
The railway van was loaded with parcels.
(Archaic) Scientists were in the van of technological innovation.
She parked the van in the narrow alley.