Fan
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -æn
Origin 1
From Middle English, from Old English fann ("a winnowing, fan"), from Latin vannus ("fan for winnowing grain"), from Proto-Indo-European *wē- ("to thresh, winnow"). Cognate with Dutch wan ("fan"), German Wanne, Swedish vanna ("a fan for winnowing"), Old English windwian ("to fan, winnow"). More at winnow.
Full definition of fan
Noun
fan
(plural fans)- A hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.
- An electrical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.
- Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
- An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
- Bible, Is. xxx. 24clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan
- A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock windmill always in the direction of the wind.
Derived terms
Verb
- (transitive) To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.We enjoyed standing at the edge of the cliff, being fanned by the wind..
- 1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking.
- (transitive) To slap (a behind, especially).
- 1934, Rex Stout, , 1992 edition, ISBN 0553278193, page 148:
- ...it would have been a real satisfaction toput her across my knees and pull up her skirts and giver her a swell fanning...
- (intransitive, usually to fan out) To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
Derived terms
Origin 2
Shortened from fanatic.