# van

/ˈvæn/ (US) · /vˈæn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/van
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. transport vehicle

noun · CEFR A2

a motor vehicle that is used for carrying goods or several people.

For teachers: a covered motor vehicle used for the transport of goods or a small number of passengers, typically larger than a car but smaller than a lorry.

- We hired a large van to move all our furniture to the new house.
- The delivery company updated its fleet with electric vans to reduce carbon emissions during last-mile logistics in the city centre.

### 2. railway carriage

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a railway carriage used for carrying goods or luggage.

For teachers: an enclosed railway vehicle designed for the transport of goods or luggage.

- The guard sat in the brake van at the back of the train.
- The vintage steam train included a restored goods van, which was used to demonstrate how freight was moved in the early twentieth century.

### 3. the front

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the leading part of a group, an army, or a movement.

For teachers: a clipping of 'vanguard' referring to the leading position in an army or a movement.

- The young activists were in the van of the protest march.
- As a pioneer in renewable energy, the company has remained in the van of technological innovation for over a decade.

### 4. mining shovel

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special shovel used for cleaning or testing small amounts of ore.

For teachers: a shovel used for cleansing or testing a small portion of ore by washing.

- The miner used a van to separate the heavy minerals from the waste.
- Traditional prospecting involved using a van to carefully wash ore samples, allowing the surveyor to estimate the mineral content of the vein.

### 5. to transport

verb · CEFR B2

to move something, especially a horse, using a van.

For teachers: to transport goods or animals, particularly horses, in a van or similar vehicle.

- They decided to van the horses to the competition instead of riding them there.
- The logistics team had to van the delicate equipment across the border to ensure it remained protected from the elements.

## Examples

- The delivery driver parks the van outside the house.
- We hired a large van to move all of our furniture to the new apartment across town.
- While a standard car was insufficient for the band's equipment, a commercial van provided the necessary volume to transport their amplifiers and instruments between tour dates.

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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.