# caravan

/ˈkæɹəˌvæn/ (US) · /kˈæɹɐvˌæn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caravan
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. desert convoy

noun · CEFR B2

a group of people, animals, or vehicles travelling together, especially across a desert.

For teachers: a company of travellers, merchants, or pilgrims journeying together for safety in difficult or dangerous terrain.

- The merchant caravan took three weeks to cross the vast sandy desert.
- Historically, the Silk Road was traversed by massive caravans of camels carrying spices, silk, and precious metals between distant empires.

### 3. to travel together

verb · CEFR C1 · British English

to travel together in a group of vehicles or with a caravan.

For teachers: to journey as part of a convoy or to holiday using a towed vehicle.

- The three families decided to caravan together down to the coast for the summer.
- They spent the entire autumn caravanning across the highlands, stopping at various remote sites to enjoy the scenery.

Usage: The verb is often used intransitively to describe the act of travelling as a group.

## Examples

- We spent our summer holiday travelling in a caravan.
- The family decided to tow their caravan to the coast for a week of camping by the sea.
- While modern tourists prefer luxury motorhomes, the traditional caravan remains a staple of the British seaside holiday, offering a compact and mobile alternative to permanent summer cottages.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.