Also 7 vann. [Shortening of VANGUARD.]
1. The foremost division or detachment of a military or naval force when advancing or set in order for doing so.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib. (1821), 420. The Van went off with few slaine.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 799. Spinola himself went in the Van, sending before him Scouts and Pioneers to search the ways and level them.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 535. Armies rush To Battel in the Clouds, before each Van Pric forth the Aerie Knights.
1704. Lond. Gaz., No. 4054/1. They were very strong in the Center, and weaker in the Van and Rear.
a. 1781. R. Watson, Philip III. (1783), V. 382. The van was led by the mareschal Lesdiguieres, the main body by the duke of Savoy, and Shomberg … brought up the rear with the artillery.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxv. As Lord Evandale spoke, the van of the insurgents began to make their appearance.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 355. The van of the Mahratta army … had advanced to within fifteen miles of Chanda.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xix. 308. Roman civilians had followed in the van of the armies.
b. Without article.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. ii. 104. The Foe he had survey’d Rang’d, as to him they did appear, With Van, main Battel, Wings and Rear.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 58. Standards, and Gonfalons twixt Van and Reare Streame in the Aire.
1809. Wordsw., Hofer, 10. They stagger at the shock From van to rear.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XVIII. iv. V. 86. Van, having faced to right … and so become Left Wing, will attack Kreczor.
c. Const. of (war, etc.), or with possessive.
1716. Pope, Iliad, XIII. 350. But those my ship contains, whence distant far, I fight conspicuous in the Van of War.
1813. Byron, Br. Abydos, I. vii. Another! and a braver man Was never seen in battle’s van.
† d. In one’s van, in front of one. Obs.
1724. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 250. The king’s army [was] in his rear, and Sir Richard Grenvil in his van.
2. The foremost portion of, or the foremost position in, a company or train of persons moving, or prepared to move forwards or onwards.
1610. Beaum. & Fl., Scornf. Lady, V. i. Come who leads? Sir Roger, you shall have the Van: lead the way.
1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, XVI. lxxii. The gallant Pæans of His vocal Van To all the Orbs proclaim’d the Spectacle.
1674. Jackson’s Recantations, 19, in Hindley, Book Collector’s Misc., III. I … was commonly in the van, upon any desperate exploit, having the knowledge of my weapon [etc.].
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., I. 48. My aunt led the van with a red-hot poker; and, in my opinion, she was the most formidable of the party.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp., v. (1865), I. 220. The Gauls … formed the van of the great Celtic migration.
1874. Burnand, My Time, xxvi. 240. After the van of the procession had marched into the dining-room.
b. fig., esp. in the phrases to lead († bear, † have) the van, and in the van.
(a) a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 115. Ratcliffe Church esteemeth it a greater grace to lead the van of all parochial, than to follow in the rear after many Cathedral Churches in England.
1683. trans. Erasm. Moriæ Encom., 9. Why may not I justly bear the Van among the whole troop of Gods?
a. 1705. Beveridge, Thes. Theol. (1710), I. 234. The Apostle gives us a chain of all Christian graces: wherein … faith leads the van.
1772. Fletcher, Logica Genev., 198. As Moses led the van of these testimonies … and St. Paul the main body, permit St. James to bring up the rear.
1838. Stephens, Trav. Greece, I. vii. 125. I could not follow them in their long and repeated kneelings and prostrations; but my young Greek … led the van.
(b) 1771. Junius Lett., lvii. (1788), 306. The natural resources of the crown are no longer confided in. Corruption glitters in the van.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, I. 343. Be thou therefore in the van Of circumstance.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., III. viii. The chief of men is he who stands in the van of men.
1879. Lubbock, Addr. Pol. & Educ., iv. 87. That nothing less will suffice here if we are to maintain our position in the van of industrial nations.
3. The fore or front part of a thing. rare.
1727. Dyer, Grongar Hill, 3. Silent Nymph!… Who … lie On the mountain’s lonely van, Beyond the noise of busy man.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 508. While o’er the quivering deck, from van to rear, Broad surges roll in terrible career.
4. attrib., as van-division, -ship, -squadron.
1652. French, Occurr. Nov., 29–Dec. 6, 216. Ruttier … commanded the Van-squadron, and charged very resolutely up to us.
1795. Nelson, 13 March, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), II. 14. The Admiral made the signal for the Van-ships to join him. Ibid. (1796), 19 June, Ibid. (1846), VII. p. lxxxii. The Admiral has honoured me with the command of the Van-Division.
1806. A. Duncan, Nelson, 71. He received the … fire from the van ships.
1862. Meredith, Poet. Wks. (1912), 122. The day was a van-bird of summer.
