caravan
[ kar-uh-van ]
/ ˈkær əˌvæn /
noun
a group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts, hostile territory, etc.
any group traveling in or as if in a caravan and using a specific mode of transportation, as pack animals or motor vehicles: a caravan of trucks; a camel caravan.
a large covered vehicle for conveying passengers, goods, a sideshow, etc.; van.
Chiefly British.
a house on wheels; trailer.
verb (used with object), car·a·vaned or car·a·vanned, car·a·van·ing or car·a·van·ning.
to carry in or as if in a caravan: Trucks caravaned food and medical supplies to the flood's survivors.
verb (used without object), car·a·vaned or car·a·vanned, car·a·van·ing or car·a·van·ning.
to travel in or as if in a caravan: They caravaned through Egypt.
Origin of caravan
1590–1600; earlier
carovan < Italian
carovana < Persian
kārwān
SYNONYMS FOR caravan
OTHER WORDS FROM caravan
car·a·van·ist, nounWords nearby caravan
carapace,
carat,
caratacus,
caratinga,
caravaggio,
caravan,
caravanner,
caravansary,
caravanserai,
caravel,
caraway
Example sentences from the Web for caravan
British Dictionary definitions for caravan
caravan
/ (ˈkærəˌvæn) /
noun
- a large enclosed vehicle capable of being pulled by a car or lorry and equipped to be lived inUS and Canadian name: trailer
- (as modifier)a caravan site
(esp in some parts of Asia and Africa) a company of traders or other travellers journeying together, often with a train of camels, through the desert
a group of wagons, pack mules, camels, etc, esp travelling in single file
a large covered vehicle, esp a gaily coloured one used by Romany Gypsies, circuses, etc
verb -vans, -vanning or -vanned
(intr) British
to travel or have a holiday in a caravan
Derived forms of caravan
caravanning, nounWord Origin for caravan
C16: from Italian
caravana, from Persian
kārwān