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Webster 1913 Edition

Van

Van

,
Noun.
[Abbrev. fr.
vanguard
.]
The front of an army; the first line or leading column; also, the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle.
Standards and gonfalons, twixt
van
and rear,
Stream in the air.
Milton.

Van

,
Noun.
[Cornish.]
(Mining)
A shovel used in cleansing ore.

Van

,
Verb.
T.
(Mining)
To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.
Raymond.

Van

,
Noun.
[Abbreviated from
caravan
.]
1.
A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and others for the transportation of goods.
[Eng.]
2.
A large covered wagon for moving furniture, etc., also for conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition.
3.
A closed railway car for baggage. See the Note under
Car
, 2.
[Eng.]

Van

,
Noun.
[L.
vannus
a van, or fan for winnowing grain: cf. F.
van
. Cf.
Fan
,
Van
a wing
Winnow
.]
1.
A fan or other contrivance, as a sieve, for winnowing grain.
2.
[OF.
vanne
, F.
vanneau
beam feather (cf. It.
vanno
a wing) fr. L.
vannus
. See Etymology above.]
A wing with which the air is beaten.
[Archaic]
“[/Angels] on their plumy vans received him. ”
Milton.
He wheeled in air, and stretched his
vans
in vain;
His
vans
no longer could his flight sustain.
Dryden.

Van

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. F.
vanner
to winnow, to fan. See
Van
a winnowing machine.]
To fan, or to cleanse by fanning; to winnow.
[Obs.]
Bacon.

Webster 1828 Edition

Van

VAN

,
Noun.
[Eng. advance, advantage. It is from the root of L. venio, the primary sense of which is to pass.]
1.
The front of an army; or the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle.
2.
Among farmers, a fan for winnowing grain. [This in New England is always pronounced fan, which see. But the winnowing machine has nearly superseded the use of it.
3.
In mining, the cleansing of ore or tin stuff by means of a shovel.
4.
A wing with which the air is beaten.
He wheel'd in air, and stretch'd his vans in vain.

VAN

,
Verb.
T.
To fan. [Not in use.] [See Fan.]

Definition 2024

vän

vän

See also: vaen and Appendix:Variations of "van"

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /vɛːn/

Adjective

vän (comparative vänare, superlative vänast)

  1. (dated) fair, beautiful
Declension
Inflection of vän
Indefinite/attributive Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular vän vänare vänast
Neuter singular vänt vänare vänast
Plural väna vänare vänast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 väne vänare vänaste
All väna vänare vänaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in an attributive role.
Related terms
  • vänhet

Etymology 2

From Old Norse vinr, from Proto-Germanic *winiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- ‎(“to seek, desire, love, win”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /vɛn/

Noun

vän c (feminine: väninna, only among women)

  1. a friend
    De var bästa vänner under alla år i skolan.‎
    They were best friends through all years in school.
    Vi är bara vänner.‎
    We’re just friends (i.e. not a couple)
Declension
Inflection of vän 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative vän vännen vänner vännerna
Genitive väns vännens vänners vännernas
Derived terms

References

Etymology

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