A van is a vehicle that is bigger than a car and used to carry goods or groups of people. It usually has a large enclosed space in the back instead of separate seats.
From the word 'caravan', originally meaning a group of travelers or wagons going together. English speakers shortened it to 'van' for the vehicle that carries loads, just like a wagon did.
It’s funny that ‘van’ and ‘vanguard’ both trace back to ideas of moving groups, but one is about leading and the other about carrying stuff. Modern delivery vans are like the workhorses of cities, quietly moving everything you buy. You almost never notice them, but without them stores would be empty.
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