minivan

From mini- +‎ van. First widely used in the 1980s, when this class of vehicles became widely popular as an alternative to station wagons (estate cars). Attested earlier in technical usage, usually as mini-van.

• Rhymes: -æn

minivan (plural minivans)

2. A small van, especially (Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) one primarily used for family transport.

   Alternative form: mini-van (dated)

   Hypernyms: automobile < motor vehicle < vehicle

   Hyponyms: people carrier, MPV (UK, passenger-focused); matatu, mathree (East African minivans used as gypsy cabs)

   Coordinate terms: van, car (each construed as either hypernymous or coordinate); CUV, XUV; SUV, sport utility vehicle; station wagon, estate car, estate; truck, lorry

• → Japanese: ミニバン (miniban)
• → Korean: 미니밴 (minibaen)
• → Russian: минивэ́н (minivɛ́n)
• → Thai: มินิแวน (mí-ní-wɛɛn)

minivan (third-person singular simple present minivans, present participle minivanning, simple past and past participle minivanned)

1. (ambitransitive) To travel or transport in a small van.

Borrowed from English minivan.

minivan m (invariable)

1. minivan

• miniwan

Unadapted borrowing from English minivan.

• IPA^(key): /mi.ɲiˈvan/
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: mi‧ni‧van

minivan m inan

1. minivan (small van)

   Hypernym: van

2. minivan, people carrier, MPV (large and spacious passenger car, typically with five or seven seats and sliding rear doors)

• minivan in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• minivan in PWN's encyclopedia

minivan m or f (plural minivans)

1. minivan