cavan

C3A1V4A1N1
US, UK/ˈkæ.vən/

noun

A unit of dry capacity approximately equivalent to 2.3 US bushels.

OriginSpanish caván ← Tagalog kaban →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

cavan1

nouncavan (plural cavans)

plural cavans

  1. ManilaPhilippineshistoricalA unit of dry capacity approximately equivalent to 2.3 US bushels.
  2. A unit of dry capacity equivalent to one and a half times or twice the Manila cavan.
  3. PhilippinesdatedA sackful equivalent to 50 kilograms.

Cavan2

proper noun
  1. A county of Ireland.
  2. The county town of County Cavan, Ireland (Irish grid ref H 4104).
  3. A locality in the Yass Valley council area, south eastern New South Wales, Australia.
  4. A northern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Salisbury, South Australia.
  5. A commune in Côtes-d'Armor department, Brittany, France.

Cavan3

proper nounCavan (plural Cavans)

plural Cavans

  1. A surname.

Origin

cavan · noun

  1. Tagalogkaban
  2. Spanishcaván
  3. Englishcavan

From Spanish caván, from Tagalog kaban as "Manila cavan", via Cebuano as the "provincial cavan".

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Cavan · proper noun

  1. IrishCabhán
  2. IrishCabhán
  3. EnglishCavan

Borrowed from Irish an Cabhán.

More words from Irish

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Cavan · proper noun

  1. CebuanoCavan
  2. IrishÓ Caomháin“descendant of Caomhán”
  3. EnglishCavan

Various origins: * Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Caomháin (“descendant of Caomhán”), a diminutive form of the personal name Caomh. * Borrowed from Cebuano Cavan, a surname of unexplained origin.

More words from Irish, Cebuano

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Translations

German Cavan, Cavan
  • Cavancounty in the Republic of Ireland
  • Cavancounty town of County Cavan
Irish An Cabhán, Contae an Chabháin
  • An Cabháncounty in the Republic of Ireland
  • Contae an Chabháincounty in the Republic of Ireland
  • An Cabháncounty town of County Cavan
Russian Ка́ван, Ка́ван
  • Ка́ван (Kávan)county in the Republic of Ireland
  • Ка́ван (Kávan)county town of County Cavan
Cite this entry
APA

cavan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavan

MLA

“cavan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavan. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cavan,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavan.

Source: cavan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.