What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Ivan vs Van - What's the difference?

ivan | van |

As nouns the difference between ivan and van

is that ivan is while van is a (covered) vehicle used for carrying goods or people, usually roughly cuboid in shape, longer and higher than a car but smaller than a truck or van can be (mining) a shovel used in cleansing ore or van can be a fan or other contrivance, such as a sieve, for winnowing grain.

As a verb van is

to transport in a van or similar vehicle (especially of horses) or van can be (mining) to wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.

ivan

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) , and from Ivan in several (etyl) languages, all of them cognates of the English John.

Proper noun

(en proper noun)
  • of English speakers.
  • * 2010 (Kate Atkinson), Started Early, took My Dog , Doubleday, ISBN 9780385608022, page 66:
  • *:Amy's husband was called Ivan. Ivan''' the Terrible'', Barry always called him, naturally. '' Ivan ? What kind of name is that?' he said to Tracy after Amy's engagement was announced. 'Bloody Russian.'
  • *:'Actually, I think it's because he had a Norwegian grandfather', Tracy said.
    • 'Norwegian?' Barry said incredulously, as if she'd just announced that Ivan' s family came from the moon.
  • A transliteration of the Russian male given name .
  • (slang) A Russian.
  • (slang) Russians .
    • Ivan is planning an attack on our flank.

    Etymology 2

    Rare variant of English Evan, from (etyl) Ifan, the Welsh equivalent of John.

    Proper noun

    (en proper noun)
  • of Welsh origin.
  • * 1833 (George Newenham Wright), Scenes in North Wales , T. T. and J. Tegg, page 137:
    • Dafydd ap Ivan ap Einion, an adherent to the house of Lancaster held out, in Harlech Castle, for nine years after the accession of Edward the Fourth to the throne of England.

    Anagrams

    * ----

    van

    English

    Etymology 1

    Short for caravan.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A (covered) vehicle used for carrying goods or people, usually roughly cuboid in shape, longer and higher than a car but smaller than a truck.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith.}}
  • (British) A railway carriage.
  • (UK, dated) A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and others for the transportation of goods.
  • .
  • * 1667 , (John Milton), Paradise Lost , book 5, lines 588–590:
    • Ten thousand thousand Ensignes high advanc'd, / Standards, and Gonfalons twixt Van and Reare / Streame in the Aire, and for distinction serve
  • * 1698 , Ned Ward, The London Spy
    • Then a bumper to the Queen led the van of our good wishes, another to the Church Established, a third was left to the whim of the toaster
  • * 1965 , translated by Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan, '', book 4 ''Vir??a Parva , section 33, page 84:
    • Bh??ma then outlined the following strategy: “… Let Kar?a, clad in armour, stand in the van . And I shall command the entire army in the rear.”
  • .
    • Derived terms
    * detector van * divvy van * driving van trailer * goods van * panel van * * white van man

    See also

    * lorry * transit (UK) * truck

    Verb

    (vann)
  • To transport in a van or similar vehicle (especially of horses).
  • * 1966 , United States Congress, Senate, Committee on Commerce:
    • I have to have a license to own them, a license to train them, my jockey has to have a license to ride them, the van company must have a license to van them, and the black shoe man must have a license to shoe them.
  • * 1999 , Bonnie Bryant, Changing Leads , p. 53:
    • [They] had their own horses, but they hadn't bothered to van them over to Pine Hollow for this outing.

    Etymology 2

    (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (mining) A shovel used in cleansing ore.

    • Verb

    (vann)
  • (mining) To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel.
    • (Raymond)

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) (lena) : compare (etyl) van and English (l), (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fan or other contrivance, such as a sieve, for winnowing grain.
  • A wing with which the air is beaten.
  • * Milton
    • So Satan fell; and strait a fiery globe / Of Angels on full sail of wing flew nigh, / Who on their plumy vans receiv'd him soft
  • * Dryden
    • He wheeled in air, and stretched his vans' in vain; / His ' vans no longer could his flight sustain.

    Anagrams

    * ----