Caravan Meaning
/ˈkæɹəvæn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert.
nounA furnished vehicle towed behind a car, etc., and used as a dwelling when stationary.
Sentence Examples
Dogs bark when the caravan passes by.
A long caravan of camel was heading to the West.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The desert travelers loaded their camels and joined a large ____ heading west.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They traveled across the large desert in a long ____ of camels city.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The desert travelers loaded their camels and joined a large ____ heading west.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They traveled across the large desert in a long ____ of camels city.