Definition of Van Doren in US English:
Van Doren
proper nounvan ˈdôrənvan ˈdôrən
1The name of a family of US writers and teachers.
- 1.1 Carl (Clinton) Van Doren (1885–1950), historian and literary critic, noted as the author of the biography Benjamin Franklin (1938).
- 1.2 Mark (Albert) Van Doren (1894–1972), poet and educator; son of Carl. His work is compiled in Collected Poems (1939).
- 1.3 Charles (Lincoln) Van Doren (born 1926), writer and educator; son of Mark. He was involved in a quiz show scandal for having been given the answers prior to his appearances on television's Twenty One in 1957.