caravan en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /kaɾəˈvan/ (Wales)
- /ˈkæɹəvæn/
- (General-American) audio Mmmm
- kărˈə-văn
- /ˈkɛɹəvæn/ Mary–marry–merry merger
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈkaɾəvan/ (Scotland)
- (US) audio Mmmm
Etymology
From Middle French caravane, from Old French carvane, from Persian کاروان (kârvân), from Middle Persian kʾlwʾn' (kārawān), from Old Persian 𐎣𐎠𐎼 (k-a-r, “people, subjects”). The word was used to designate a group of people who were travelling by camel or horse on the Silk Road. Doublet of Kairouan.
Meanings
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A convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert.
The caravan of skilled and experienced designers, tunnellers and builders follows these projects around the world.
2022 July 27, Sir Michael Holden, “In praise of Crossrail 1... and in search of Crossrail 2”, in RAIL, number 962, page 33:To the left the caravan animals, securely picketed, at regular distances of some fifteen yards apart, occupied an area of several acres.
1846, Rufus B. Sage, Rocky Mountain Life:“Would they could have foretold that my caravan would have been cut up by the Shinwaris almost within shadow of the Pass!” grunted the Eusufzai agent of a Rajputana trading-house whose goods had been feloniously diverted into the hands of other robbers just across the Border, and whose misfortunes were the laughing-stock of the bazar. “Ohé, priest, whence come you and whither do you go?”
1888, Rudyard Kipling, The Man Who Would Be King:Camel caravans, and courageous teamsters opened regular carrying businesses between Southern Cross and Coolgardie, while coaches began to run over the desert.
1897, chapter 21, in W. B. Kimberly, editor, History of West Australia:
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(Australia, New-Zealand, South-Africa, UK) A furnished vehicle towed behind a car, etc., and used as a dwelling when stationary.
An Italian woman, twenty years of age, […] was travelling in a caravan with the baggage of the Duke of Wellington's army, in the middle of the night, in a violent storm, while she was fast asleep, a small monkey with a long chain upon the roof of the caravan took refuge in it […]
1825, Royal Society, Philosophical transactions of the Royal society of London : giving some accompt of the present undertakings, studies, and labours of the ingenious in many considerable parts of the world., volume 115, page 76:The best thing about caravans is that they're always exactly the same, said Terence Butcher. You can tow your caravan to Brighton or Bournemouth or Bognor. Doesn′t make the blindest bit of difference. When you close the door behind you at the end of the day you′re home.
2009, Chris Cleave, Incendiary, unnumbered page:The caravans were the demarcation between the non-radioactive areas and the radioactive areas. There were two main caravans, one for people going into the forward area, and the other caravan was for people returning.
2006, Roger Cross, Avon Hudson, Beyond Belief: The British Bomb Tests: Australia's Veterans Speak Out, page 92:
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(collective) A group of camels, especially when used as beasts of burden carrying people and merchandise.
As I sauntered to-day down the Rue d'Isly, on evolutionary thoughts intent, I met a caravan of camels, in long single file, coming in from the desert with their bales of merchandise.
1888, George Fleming, “On a Certain Deficiency in Women”, in The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art, Leavitt, Trow & Company, page 392:It was just about noon, and the mirage in the middle of the day quickly swallows up even a caravan of camels on the horizon, or they get hidden in a dip of the plain, and ours were now out of sight.
1879, Lady Anne Blunt, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, Harper and Brothers, page 300:Twice, however, we encountered a caravan of camels-about seventy strong in one instance, and about thirty in the other.
1914, William Ainger Wigram, Sir Edgar Thomas Ainger Wigram, The Cradle of Mankind: Life in Eastern Kurdistan, A. and C. Black, page 64:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| caravans | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
caravan site · caravan park · motor caravan · static caravan · caravaner · caravan parker · motorcaravan · caravan-like · caravanlike · caravaneer · caravanette · motor-caravan · caravan city · caravanist
Descendants
Hypernyms
Relateds
caravansary · caravanserai · van
Synonyms
RV · camper · wagon train · pack train · convoy · recreational vehicle · trailer · caravanserai · camel train · travel trailer
Translations (148)
ps کاروان (convoy or procession) · tg корвон (convoy or procession) · hi क़ाफ़िला (convoy or procession) · sh караван (vehicle) · gd carabhan (convoy or procession) · ky кербен (convoy or procession) · pt trailer (vehicle) · ko 카라반 (convoy or procession) · mn жингийн цуваа (convoy or procession) · et haagiselamu (vehicle) · gu કાફલો (convoy or procession) · kk керуен (convoy or procession) · mn худалдааны хөсөг (convoy or procession) · ru фурго́н (vehicle) · es cáfila (convoy or procession) · az karvan (convoy or procession) · ar مَقْطُورَة (vehicle) · fi asuntovaunu (vehicle) · pa ਕਾਫ਼ਲਾ (convoy or procession) · nb campingvogn (vehicle) · nl caravan (vehicle) · cmn 拖掛房車 /拖挂房车 (vehicle) · ru карава́н (vehicle) · cy carafán (vehicle) · ja 隊商 (convoy or procession) · ug كارۋان (convoy or procession) · st kharavane (vehicle) · hu karaván (convoy or procession) · ja キャラバン (convoy or procession) · it roulotte (vehicle) · sd ڪاروان (convoy or procession) · pal kʾlwʾn' (kārawān) (convoy or procession) · pl karawana (convoy or procession) · gu કારવાં (convoy or procession) · it caravan (vehicle) · sh karavan (vehicle) · ja キャンピングトレーラー (vehicle) · rw caravaneer (convoy or procession) · sv campingvagn (vehicle) · ur کارْواں (convoy or procession) · hy քարավան (convoy or procession) · yue 商隊 /商队 (convoy or procession) · eo karavano (convoy or procession) · pa ਕੈਰਾਵੈਨ (vehicle) · arz قافلة (convoy or procession) · pl przyczepa kempingowa (vehicle) · ru ке́мпер (vehicle) · af karavaan (convoy or procession) · tr kervan (convoy or procession) · pt rulote (vehicle) · ms karavan (convoy or procession) · ky караван (convoy or procession) · de Karawane (convoy or procession) · be карава́н (convoy or procession) · sk karavána (convoy or procession) · id karavan (convoy or procession) · ur قافِلَہ (convoy or procession) · tk kerwen (convoy or procession) · ro caravană (convoy or procession) · fo kampingvognur (vehicle) · cs karavana (convoy or procession) · bn কাফেলা (convoy or procession) · af karavaan (vehicle) · af woonwa (vehicle) · hi कारवाँ (convoy or procession) · bg фурго́н (vehicle) · sv husvagn (vehicle) · it carovana (convoy or procession) · el καραβάνι (convoy or procession) · fr caravane (vehicle) · fr caravane (convoy or procession) · fa کارْوان (convoy or procession) · ckb کاروان (convoy or procession) · mk камп-приколка (vehicle) · sd ڪاروان (vehicle) · ru автодо́м (vehicle) · haw kaʻa hale (vehicle) · nn karavane (convoy or procession) · pl przyczepa campingowa (vehicle) · ota قطار (convoy or procession) · kmr karwan (convoy or procession) · pt caravana (vehicle) · grc συνοδία (convoy or procession) · da karavane (convoy or procession) · cmn 商隊 /商队 (convoy or procession) · hi काफिला (convoy or procession) · kmr karavan (vehicle) · fi matkailuvaunu (vehicle) · tr katar (convoy or procession) · mn гэр чиргүүл (vehicle) · ko 대상 (convoy or procession) · sh каравана (convoy or procession) · nb karavane (convoy or procession) · de Caravan (vehicle) · tg қофила (convoy or procession) · uk карава́н (convoy or procession) · ka ქარავანი (convoy or procession) · tl karabana (convoy or procession) · pa ਕਾਰਵਾਂ (convoy or procession) · nl woonwagen (vehicle) · ja トラベルトレーラー (vehicle) · hu lakókocsi (vehicle) · fi karavaani (convoy or procession) · ps قافله (convoy or procession) · sl karavana (convoy or procession) · bn কারওয়ান (convoy or procession) · bg керва́н (convoy or procession) · sq karavan (convoy or procession) · nn campingvogn (vehicle) · hu konvoj (convoy or procession) · he שיירה (convoy or procession) · mk приколка (vehicle) · fa قافِلِه (convoy or procession) · pt caravana (convoy or procession) · ru тре́йлер (vehicle) · cmn 旅行拖車 /旅行拖车 (vehicle) · vi thương đội (convoy or procession) · uz qofila (convoy or procession) · pt roulotte (vehicle) · ro rulotă (vehicle) · tr karavan (vehicle) · gu કારવાં (vehicle) · gu કાફલો (vehicle) · ar قَافِلَة (convoy or procession) · el τροχόσπιτο (vehicle) · ms kafilah (convoy or procession) · id kafilah (convoy or procession) · es caravana (convoy or procession) · pt cáfila (convoy or procession) · gd carabhan (vehicle) · he אוֹרְחָה (convoy or procession) · nl sleurhut (vehicle) · he קָרָווָן (vehicle) · ga carbhán (vehicle) · ga carbhán (convoy or procession) · fr roulotte (vehicle) · ru автода́ча (vehicle) · de Wohnwagen (vehicle) · mk карава́н (convoy or procession) · uz karvon (convoy or procession) · rw caravan (convoy or procession) · bg карава́на (vehicle) · nrf caravanne (convoy or procession) · sh karavana (convoy or procession) · ru карава́н (convoy or procession) · cs karavan (vehicle) · nl karavaan (convoy or procession) · da campingvogn (vehicle)