van

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
van1

▶noun a covered motor vehicle used for transporting goods or people.

■ Brit. a railway carriage for conveying luggage, mail, etc.

■ Brit. a caravan.

– origin C19: shortening of caravan.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
van2

▶noun (the van)

• 1 the foremost part of a group of people, especially the foremost division of an advancing military force.

• 2 the forefront of developments or ideas.

– origin C17: abbrev. of vanguard.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
van3

▶noun

• 1 archaic a winnowing fan.

• 2 archaic or literary a bird's wing.

– origin ME: dial. var. of fan1, prob. reinforced by OFr. van or L. vannus.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
van4

▶noun Brit. Tennis informal term for advantage.