caravan
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: kărˈə-văn
ipa: /ˈkæɹəvæn/
ipa: /kaɾəˈvan/
Forms: form: caravans
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.
Senses: examples: text: To the left the caravan animals, securely picketed, at regular distances of some fifteen yards apart, occupied an area of several acres.
ref: 1846, Rufus B. Sage, Rocky Mountain Life:
text: “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?”
ref: 1888, Rudyard Kipling, The Man Who Would Be King:
text: Camel caravans, and courageous teamsters opened regular carrying businesses between Southern Cross and Coolgardie, while coaches began to run over the desert.
ref: 1897, chapter 21, in W. B. Kimberly, editor, History of West Australia:
text: The caravan of skilled and experienced designers, tunnellers and builders follows these projects around the world.
ref: 2022 July 27, Sir Michael Holden, “In praise of Crossrail 1... and in search of Crossrail 2”, in RAIL, number 962, page 33:
synonyms: camel train
caravanserai
convoy
pack train
wagon train
glosses: A convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert.
examples: text: 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 […]
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 2006, Roger Cross, Avon Hudson, Beyond Belief: The British Bomb Tests: Australia's Veterans Speak Out, page 92:
text: 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.
ref: 2009, Chris Cleave, Incendiary, unnumbered page:
synonyms: camper
recreational vehicle
RV
trailer
travel trailer
glosses: A furnished vehicle towed behind a car, etc., and used as a dwelling when stationary.
Derived terms: caravan city
caravaneer
caravaner
caravanette
caravanist
caravanlike
caravan park
caravan parker
caravan site
motor caravan
motorcaravan
static caravan
Related terms: caravanserai
caravansary
van