Also 6 carouan, 7 carrauan, caruan, karavan, 8 karrawan. [In 16th c. carouan, a. Pers. kārwān, in same sense. Found in med.L. carvana (Hoveden), caravanna, caravenna (Matt. Paris), and F. carvane, from Crusading times, but app. not in Eng. before 16th c. The form caravan was perhaps caravane from French.]
1. A company of merchants, pilgrims, or others, in the East or northern Africa, travelling together for the sake of security, esp. through the desert. Also attrib., as in caravan route.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 204. The maner and order which the Carouan obserueth in marching.
1601. W. Parry, Trav. Sir A. Sherley, 23. A caravan is a great many of camels laden, and men in a company.
1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., XI. lxvi. (1612), 282. Their Marchants trauailing by Carauan, that is, Great Droues of laden Camels.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 122. Brought ouer-land by Caruan from Mecha.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. W., xxii. He … hired himself as a camel-driver to a caravan that was crossing the desert.
1761. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, IV. (1770), 62 (D.). From thence by karrawans to Coptos.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 31. Various inland caravan routes also brought commodities to its markets.
1873. Longf., Kambalu, 3. At the head of his dusty caravan.
† b. Thieves’ cant. An object of plunder. Obs.
1688. Shadwell, Sqr. Alsatia, I. i. Thy cousin here is the wealthiest Caravan we have met with a long time.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Caravan, a good round Sum of Money about a Man, and him that is Cheated of it.
2. A fleet of Turkish or Russian ships, esp. of merchant vessels, with their convoy.
1605–74. Camden, Rem., 493. The sinking of the great Galeasse of the Saracens, the taking of their Convoy, which … is called a Caravana.
1654. Fuller, Comm. Ruth (1868), 119. A caravan … sailing in the vast ocean.
1686. Lond. Gaz., No. 2177/2. News … of the rencounter between Signior Venier, Captain Extraordinary of the Ships of this State, and the Turkish Caravan.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Sea Caravans … conveyed by ships of war.
b. (See quots.)
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Caravan is also an appellation given to the voyages, or campaigns, which the knights of Malta are obliged to make at sea, against the Turks and Corsairs.
1858. W. Porter, Hist. Knts. Malta, II. xx. 209. Every Knight, during his residence in Malta, was bound to complete four caravans, or cruises of six months each.
3. transf. A troop of people going in company [so in Fr.]; a company in motion. Also fig.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 428. [Birds] rang’d in figure wedge thir way … and set forth Their Aierie Caravan.
1681. Cotton, Poet. Wks. (1765), 332.
| That ev’vy Wand a Caduce did appear, | |
| As we a Caravan of dead Folks were. |
1683. Argum. for Union, 4. [Arians, Socinians, etc.] may associate in a Caravan, but cannot joyn in the Communion of a Church.
1711. Swift, Lett. (1767), III. 223. We got out before eleven, a noble caravan of us.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (Hotten), 177. Attacking a whole Caravan of them.
4. A covered carriage or cart: In 17–18th c. applied to a private or public covered vehicle carrying passengers or a company of people together (now shortened to van); hence early in 19th c. to a third class ‘covered carriage’ on a railway; now, usually, a house on wheels, e.g., the travelling house of gipsies, a showman, or (according to recent fashion) a party on a pleasure tour; one of the covered vehicles of a travelling menagerie, etc.
1674. Blount, Glossogr., Caravan or Karavan … also of late corruptly used with us for a kind of Waggon to carry passengers to and from London.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2450/4. A Fair easie going Caravan, with a very handsome Roof Brass Work, good Seats, Glasses on the sides to draw up, that will carry 18 Persons.
1741. Act 14 Geo. II., xlii. § 5. Nothing in this act shall … extend … to Caravans or the covered Carriages of Noblemen or Gentlemen for their private use. [So 1751 24 Geo. II., xliii. § 5.]
1754. Connoisseur, No. 25. We should laugh at a nobleman who … should … be content to have his family dragged to his country seat, like servant maids in the caravan.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 369, note. One of these birds, which was kept in a caravan.
1823. Mechanic’s Mag., No. 19. 290. The steam-engine employs its force to impel the caravans … and coaches.
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., I. 272. Several caravans containing wild beasts, and other spectacles.
1872. Browning, Fifine, iv. 5. A slow caravan, A chimneyed house on wheels.
1886. G. Stables, Cruise ‘Wanderer,’ ii. 8–9. Folding doors with nice curtains divide the caravan at pleasure into two compartments. Ibid., i. 3. If he does not love nature and quiet and retirement, he is unsuited for a caravan life.
Hence Caravaneer, the leader or conductor of an (oriental) caravan. Caravaning vbl. sb., travelling by caravan or house on wheels. Caravanist, one who practises this mode of making a tour. Caravannish a., resembling or smacking of a caravan.
1768. E. Buys, Dict. Terms of Art, Caravanier, a Person who leads the Camels, and other Beasts of Burden, commonly used in the Caravans in the East.
1885. Chr. Leader, 5 Nov., 680. Caravaning in Scotland.
1887. Pall Mall Gaz., 19 Sept., 6/1. The caravanist reverses matters…. Every night finds him encamped in meadow, in wood, or on moorland.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., IV. V. ii. § 15. Great diligences going in a caravannish manner, with whole teams of horses.
