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Fan definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FAN, n. [L. vannus.]
1. An instrument used by ladies to agitate the air and cool the face in warm weather. It is made of feathers, or of thin skin, paper or taffety mounted on sticks, etc.
2. Something in the form of a woman's fan when spread, as a peacoc's tail, a window, etc.
3. An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is thrown up and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
4. something by which the air is moved; a wing.
5. An instrument to raise the fire or flame; as a fan to inflame love.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
2: an enthusiastic devotee of sports [syn: sports fan, fan, rooter]
3: an ardent follower and admirer [syn: fan, buff, devotee, lover] v
1: strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)
2: make (an emotion) fiercer; "fan hatred"
3: agitate the air
4: separate the chaff from by using air currents; "She stood there winnowing chaff all day in the field" [syn: winnow, fan]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fann, from Latin vannus — more at winnow Date: before 12th century 1. any of various devices for winnowing grain 2. an instrument for producing a current of air: as a. a device that is held in the hand and moved back and forth to cool a person and that is usually shaped like a segment of a circle and composed of material (as feathers or paper) mounted on thin rods or slats moving about a pivot so that the device may be closed compactly when not in use b. a device that consists of a series of vanes radiating from a hub rotated on its axle by a motor c. slang an airplane propeller 3. a. something resembling an open fan b. a gently sloping fan-shaped body of detritus; especially alluvial fan • fanlike adjective II. verb (fanned; fanning) Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to drive away the chaff of (grain) by means of a current of air b. to eliminate (as chaff) by winnowing 2. to move or impel (air) with a fan 3. to blow or breathe upon <the breeze fanning her hair> 4. a. to direct a current of air upon with a fan b. to stir up to activity as if by fanning ; stimulate <fanning the fires of nationalism> 5. archaic wave 6. slang spank 7. to spread like a fan <the peacock fanned his tail> 8. to strike (a batter) out in baseball 9. to fire a series of shots from (a single-action revolver) by holding the trigger back and successively striking the hammer to the rear with the free hand intransitive verb 1. to move like a fan ; flutter 2. to spread like a fan — often used with out <the searchers fanned out> 3. strike out 3 • fanner noun III. noun Etymology: probably short for fanatic Date: 1682 1. an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator 2. an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit) <science-fiction fans>

Merriam Webster's

noun see Fang

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 an apparatus, usu. with rotating blades, giving a current of air for ventilation etc. 2 a device, usu. folding and forming a semicircle when spread out, for agitating the air to cool oneself. 3 anything spread out like a fan, e.g. a bird's tail or kind of ornamental vaulting (fan tracery). 4 a device for winnowing grain. 5 a fan-shaped deposit of alluvium esp. where a stream begins to descend a gentler slope. 6 a small sail for keeping the head of a windmill towards the wind. --v. (fanned, fanning) 1 tr. a blow a current of air on, with or as with a fan. b agitate (the air) with a fan. 2 tr. (of a breeze) blow gently on; cool. 3 tr. a winnow (grain). b winnow away (chaff). 4 tr. sweep away by or as by the wind from a fan. 5 intr. & tr. (usu. foll. by out) spread out in the shape of a fan. Phrases and idioms: fan belt a belt that drives a fan to cool the radiator in a motor vehicle. fan dance a dance in which the dancer is (apparently) nude and partly concealed by fans. fan heater an electric heater in which a fan drives air over an element. fan-jet = TURBOFAN. fan palm a palm-tree with fan-shaped leaves. Derivatives: fanlike adj. fanner n. Etymology: OE fann (in sense 4 of n.) f. L vannus winnowing-fan 2. n. a devotee of a particular activity, performer, etc. (film fan; football fan). Phrases and idioms: fan club an organized group of devotees. fan mail letters from fans. Derivatives: fandom n. Etymology: abbr. of FANATIC

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fan Fan, n. [AS. fann, fr. L. vannus fan, van for winnowing grain; cf. F. van. Cf. Van a winnowing machine, Winnow.] 1. An instrument used for producing artificial currents of air, by the wafting or revolving motion of a broad surface; as: (a) An instrument for cooling the person, made of feathers, paper, silk, etc., and often mounted on sticks all turning about the same pivot, so as when opened to radiate from the center and assume the figure of a section of a circle. (b) (Mach.) Any revolving vane or vanes used for producing currents of air, in winnowing grain, blowing a fire, ventilation, etc., or for checking rapid motion by the resistance of the air; a fan blower; a fan wheel. (c) An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away. (d) Something in the form of a fan when spread, as a peacock's tail, a window, etc. (e) A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock windmill always in the direction of the wind. Clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. --Is. xxx. 24. 2. That which produces effects analogous to those of a fan, as in exciting a flame, etc.; that which inflames, heightens, or strengthens; as, it served as a fan to the flame of his passion. 3. A quintain; -- from its form. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Fan blower, a wheel with vanes fixed on a rotating shaft inclosed in a case or chamber, to create a blast of air (fan blast) for forge purposes, or a current for draft and ventilation; a fanner. Fan cricket (Zo["o]l.), a mole cricket. Fan light (Arch.), a window over a door; -- so called from the semicircular form and radiating sash bars of those windows which are set in the circular heads of arched doorways. Fan shell (Zo["o]l.), any shell of the family Pectinid[ae]. See Scallop, n., 1. Fan tracery (Arch.), the decorative tracery on the surface of fan vaulting. Fan vaulting (Arch.), an elaborate system of vaulting, in which the ribs diverge somewhat like the rays of a fan, as in Henry VII.'s chapel in Westminster Abbey. It is peculiar to English Gothic. Fan wheel, the wheel of a fan blower. Fan window. Same as Fan light (above).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fan Fan, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fanned; p. pr. & vb. n. Fanning.] [Cf. OF. vanner, L. vannere. See Fan, n., Van a winnowing machine.] 1. To move as with a fan. The air . . . fanned with unnumbered plumes. --Milton. 2. To cool and refresh, by moving the air with a fan; to blow the air on the face of with a fan. 3. To ventilate; to blow on; to affect by air put in motion. Calm as the breath which fans our eastern groves. --Dryden. 4. To winnow; to separate chaff from, and drive it away by a current of air; as, to fan wheat. --Jer. li. 2. 5. To excite or stir up to activity, as a fan axcites a flame; to stimulate; as, this conduct fanned the excitement of the populace. Fanning machine, or Fanning mill, a machine for separating seed from chaff, etc., by a blast of air; a fanner.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(fans, fanning, fanned) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you are a fan of someone or something, especially a famous person or a sport, you like them very much and are very interested in them. As a boy he was a Manchester United fan... I am a great fan of rave music. N-COUNT: usu n N, N of n 2. A fan is a flat object that you hold in your hand and wave in order to move the air and make yourself feel cooler. N-COUNT 3. If you fan yourself or your face when you are hot, you wave a fan or other flat object in order to make yourself feel cooler. She would have to wait in the truck, fanning herself with a piece of cardboard... Mo kept bringing me out refreshments and fanning me as it was that hot. VERB: V pron-refl, V n 4. A fan is a piece of electrical or mechanical equipment with blades that go round and round. It keeps a room or machine cool or gets rid of unpleasant smells. He cools himself in front of an electric fan. ...an extractor fan. N-COUNT: oft supp N 5. If you fan a fire, you wave something flat next to it in order to make it burn more strongly. If a wind fans a fire, it blows on it and makes it burn more strongly. During the afternoon, hot winds fan the flames. VERB: V n 6. If someone fans an emotion such as fear, hatred, or passion, they deliberately do things to make people feel the emotion more strongly. He said students were fanning social unrest with their violent protests. = fuel VERB: V n 7. to fan the flames: see flame the shit hit the fan: see shit

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a winnowing shovel by which grain was thrown up against the wind that it might be cleansed from broken straw and chaff (Isa. 30:24; Jer. 15:7; Matt. 3:12). (See AGRICULTURE.)

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Use a fan upon, cool or refresh with a fan. 2. Agitate, move, beat gently. 3. Blow or breathe upon, cool, refresh. 4. Excite, stimulate, increase, rouse, fire.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To beat any one. I fanned him sweetly; I beat him heartily.

Moby Thesaurus

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