What is "caravan"

Caravan \Car"a*van\ (k[a^]r"[.a]*v[a^]n or k[a^]r*[.a]*v[a^]n"; 277), n. [F. caravane (cf. Sp. caravana), fr. Per. karw[=a]n a caravan (in sense 1). Cf. Van a wagon.]

1. A company of travelers, pilgrims, or merchants, organized and equipped for a long journey, or marching or traveling together, esp. through deserts and countries infested by robbers or hostile tribes, as in Asia or Africa.

2. A large, covered wagon, or a train of such wagons, for conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition; an itinerant show, as of wild beasts.

3. A covered vehicle for carrying passengers or for moving furniture, etc.; -- sometimes shorted into van.

1580s, from Middle French caravane, from Old French carvane, carevane "caravan" (13c.), or Medieval Latin caravana, picked up during the Crusades from Persian karwan "group of desert travelers" (which Klein connects to Sanskrit karabhah "camel"). Used in English for "vehicle" 17c., especially for a covered cart. Hence, in modern British use (from 1930s), often a rough equivalent of the U.S. mobile home.

n. 1 A convoy or procession of travelers, their vehicles and cargo, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert. 2 (context UK Australia NZ English) A furnished vehicle towed behind a car, etc., and used as a dwelling when stationary. vb. 1 To travel in a caravan (procession). 2 (context UK Australia English) To travel and/or live in a caravan (vehicle).

1. n. a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file; "we were part of a caravan of almost a thousand camels"; "they joined the wagon train for safety" [syn: train, wagon train]

2. a camper equipped with living quarters [syn: van]

Caravan or caravans may refer to:

Caravan (, ), is a Thai folk- rock band that formed out of the 1973 democracy movement. It launched the phleng phuea chiwit (เพลงเพื่อชีวิต, lit. "songs for life") genre that has since been popularized by Carabao.

"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.

It was also performed by Morrison with The Band in the 1978 film by Martin Scorsese entitled The Last Waltz, which commemorates The Band's last concert appearance together before ceasing to tour, on Thanksgiving Day 1976.

Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan in 1968. The band have not achieved much commercial success, but are considered a key part of the Canterbury scene, blending psychedelic rock, jazz and classical influences to create a distinctive sound.

The band were originally based in Whitstable, Kent, near Canterbury, but moved to London when briefly signed to Verve Records. After being dropped by Verve, the band signed to Decca Records, where they released their most critically acclaimed album, In the Land of Grey and Pink in 1971. David Sinclair left after the album's release and the group split up the following year. Hastings and Coughlan added new members, notably viola player Geoffrey Richardson, continuing on before splitting in 1978.

The band reformed several times in the following decades, and Caravan still remain active as a live band in the 21st century, despite Coughlan's death in December 2013.

"Caravan" is a jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, and first performed by Ellington in 1936. Irving Mills wrote seldom performed lyrics. Its exotic sound interested exotica musicians; Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, and Gordon Jenkins all covered it. Woody Allen used the song in two of his films, Alice and Sweet and Lowdown. The song is also heavily featured in the 2014 film Whiplash as an important plot element. The Mills Brothers recorded a cappella version, making the instruments' sounds with their voices, and Johnny Mathis recorded the song in 1956. There are more than 350 recordings of this song by Duke Ellington's orchestra, the great majority of them now in the public domain.

Caravan is the debut album by the British Canterbury scene progressive rock band Caravan. It was released in October 1968.

Caravan is a 1971 Bollywood thriller film produced by Tahir Hussain under Nasir Hussain Films & T.V. Films banner, directed by Nasir Hussain. The film stars Jeetendra, Asha Parekh in lead roles and music composed by R.D. Burman. It also has Aruna Irani, Helen and Madan Puri. Three more Hussain fixtures were involved in the songs; lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri and music composer R.D. Burman and Mohammad Rafi. The film recorded as Super Hit at box office.

Caravan Publishing House (, established 1997) is an Iranian publishing house which is the sole publisher of all Paulo Coelho's books in Persian and in Iran.

'Caravan ' is a 1934 American musical film released by Fox Film Corporation, directed by Erik Charell, and starring Charles Boyer, Loretta Young, Phillips Holmes and Jean Parker. Fox also produced a French language version of this film, Caravane (1934) starring Boyer, Annabella, and Conchita Montenegro, with Lou Tellegen in a small role.

A caravan (from ) is a group of people traveling together, often on a trade expedition. Caravans were used mainly in desert areas and throughout the Silk Road, where traveling in groups aided in defense against bandits as well as helping to improve economies of scale in trade.

In historical times, caravans connecting East Asia and Europe often carried luxurious and lucrative goods, such as silks or jewelry. Caravans could therefore require considerable investment and were a lucrative target for bandits. The profits from a successfully undertaken journey could be enormous, comparable to the later European spice trade. The luxurious goods brought by caravans attracted many rulers along important trade routes to construct caravanserais, places where caravans could refresh their animals and supplies can be replenished. However, the volume a caravan could transport was limited even by Classical or Medieval standards. For example, a caravan of 500 camels could only transport as much as a third or half of the goods carried by a regular Byzantine merchant sailing ship.

Present-day caravans in less-developed areas of the world often still transport important goods through badly passable areas, such as seeds required for agriculture in arid regions. An example are the camel trains traversing the southern edges of the Sahara Desert.

Caravan is a jazz album released by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in February 1963. It was Blakey's first album for Riverside Records after he signed with them in October 1962. The songs were recorded at the Plaza Sound Studio in New York City, on October 23-24, 1962 The producer was Orrin Keepnews who also supervised the album's remastered re-release on CD.

In 2007, the BBC described it as "a slick, fluid, professional set of hard bop at its finest".

Caravan is a 1946 British black and white drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree. It was one of the Gainsborough melodramas and is based on a novel Caravan by Eleanor Smith.

Caravan magazine is a UK monthly consumer magazine for the touring caravan community.

It was Britain’s first caravanning magazine, offering advice and tips on every aspect of the hobby. Every month the magazine features touring and travel articles for the UK and Europe, new gadgets and products with the Caravan Lottery giveaway, show and event news, reviews, and feedback with reader content. Written by caravanners for caravanners, the magazine publishes advice on owning a caravan, from buying a towcar to choosing the right towing mirrors, awnings, gas bottles, and barbecues.

Caravan (; pl. קראוואנים, caravanim) is an Israeli term referring to a portable building used as a living space, school classroom, synagogue, or community center.

Constructed of aluminum or other metal siding with a corrugated metal roof, caravanim are often attached to cement-block bases. They are not insulated but can be outfitted with heating and air-conditioning units, water lines, recessed lighting, and floor tiling to function in a full-service capacity.

The establishment of caravanim on disputed land by Jewish activists is considered the first step toward the establishment of an Israeli settlement. In its initial stage of a few caravanim, the establishment is called an "outpost." As more settlers move in, the establishment is upgraded to a "settlement".

Alternately, caravanim have been established on disputed land by Israeli and Palestinian activists as a sign of protest.

Caravan is the first single from Canadian rock band Rush's 20th studio album, Clockwork Angels. It was released to radio stations and saw digital release on June 1, 2010 (a full two years before the album's proper release), on CD via mail order later that month, and as a 7" vinyl record for Record Store Day 2011, with a limited printing of 3,000 units. The B-side is an additional studio track titled "BU2B", which stands for the lyric "brought up to believe". Both songs were recorded April 13, 2010, at Blackbird Studios in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz with mixing and engineering done by Richard Chycki at the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee. The songs were mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York. Live appearances of both songs were first featured on Rush's Time Machine Tour.

Caravan is a Canadian children's television series which aired on CBC Television from 1960 to 1962.

Caravan is a melodramatic novel by the British writer Lady Eleanor Smith first published in 1942. A young Englishman James Darrell goes on the road living with the Romany people in England while trying to make enough money as a writer to marry his sweetheart Oriana. However, she does not wait for him and marries a wealthy young Englishman. James then undertakes a mission to Spain for a business friend, while there he is attacked and robbed. He is rescued by a gypsy woman but he has lost his memory. Having lost his memory, he marries the gypsy girl, Rosal, without knowing of his former life in Britain. When his memory returns he resents the gypsy girl for deceiving him but stays with her and works as a secretary for a famous bullfighter. When Rosal is accidentally killed by the bullfighter the hero goes to Morocco. Upon his return to England his book on his journeys in Spain make him a famous and wealthy man. He reunites with his first love, Oriana, who is trapped in a loveless marriage. The book is written as a young reporter is sent to interview James Darrell on the occasion of his 70th birthday, and is written as a "flashback" by the old author.