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14 dictionary results for: Fan
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
fan1 
[fan] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, fanned, fan·ning.
—Related forms
[fan] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, fanned, fan·ning. –noun
–verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
—Idiom
| 1. | any device for producing a current of air by the movement of a broad surface or a number of such surfaces. |
| 2. | an implement of feathers, leaves, paper, cloth, etc., often in the shape of a long triangle or of a semicircle, for waving lightly in the hand to create a cooling current of air about a person: We sat on the veranda, cooling ourselves with palm-leaf fans. |
| 3. | anything resembling such an implement, as the tail of a bird. |
| 4. | any of various devices consisting essentially of a series of radiating vanes or blades attached to and revolving with a central hublike portion to produce a current of air: ceiling fan; wall fan. |
| 5. | a series of revolving blades supplying air for winnowing or cleaning grain. |
| 6. | Horology. fly1 (def. 28). |
| 7. | a semicircular decoration of bunting. |
| 8. | Physical Geography. an alluvial fan. |
| 9. | to move or agitate (the air) with or as if with a fan. |
| 10. | to cause air to blow upon, as from a fan; cool or refresh with or as if with a fan: He fanned his face with a newspaper. |
| 11. | to stir to activity with or as if with a fan: to fan a flame; to fan emotions. |
| 12. | (of a breeze, current of air, etc.) to blow upon, as if driven by a fan: A cool breeze fanned the shore. |
| 13. | to spread out like a fan: The dealer fanned the cards. |
| 14. | Informal. to move (oneself) quickly: You'll fan your tail out of here if you know what's good for you. |
| 15. | Agriculture. to winnow, esp. by an artificial current of air. |
| 16. | Baseball. (of a pitcher) to strike out (a batter). |
| 17. | Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to punish by spanking; spank: Your mother will fan you good if you break that dish. |
| 18. | to strike, swing, or brush lightly at something. |
| 19. | Western U.S. (chiefly cowboy use). to slap the flanks of (a horse or other animal) repeatedly with a hat to get it to move or move faster. |
| 20. | to spread out like a fan (often fol. by out): The forest fire fanned out in all directions. |
| 21. | Baseball. (of a batter) to strike out, usually by swinging at and missing the pitch charged as the third strike. |
| 22. | hit the fan, Slang. to become suddenly more awkward, embarrassing, or troublesome: When news of the incident was leaked to the press, everything hit the fan at once. |
[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE fann < L vannus winnowing basket]
] —Related forms
fanlike, adjective
fanner, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
fan2
[fan] Pronunciation Key
[fan] Pronunciation Key –noun
| an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin. |
—Synonyms supporter, enthusiast, partisan, booster, addict.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| fan 1
(fān) Pronunciation Key
n.
v. fanned, fan·ning, fans v. tr.
v. intr.
[Middle English, winnowing fan, from Old English fann, from Latin vannus; see wet-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| fan 2
(fān) Pronunciation Key
n. An ardent devotee; an enthusiast. [Short for fanatic.] |
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fan (1)
fan (1)
O.E. (W. Saxon) fann "a basket or shovel for winnowing grain" (by tossing it in the air), from L. vannus, related to ventus "wind" (see wind (n.)). The chaff, being lighter, would blow off. Sense of "device for moving air" first recorded 1390; the hand-held version is first attested 1555. To fan out "spread out like a hand-held fan," is from 1592. A fan-light (1819) originally was shaped like a lady's fan.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fan (2)
fan (2)
1889, Amer.Eng., originally of baseball enthusiasts, probably a shortening of fanatic, but may be influenced by the Fancy (1807), a collective term for followers of a certain hobby or sport (especially boxing). There is an isolated use from 1682, but the modern word is likely a new formation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| fan | |
noun | |
| 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] |
| 3. | an ardent follower and admirer |
verb | |
| 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] |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This
fan
In addition to the idiom beginning with fan, also see shit will hit the fan.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Jargon File - Cite This Source - Share This
fan
n. Without qualification, indicates a fan of science fiction, especially one who goes to cons and tends to hang out with other fans. Many hackers are fans, so this term has been imported from fannish slang; however, unlike much fannish slang it is recognized by most non-fannish hackers. Among SF fans the plural is correctly `fen', but this usage is not automatic to hackers. "Laura reads the stuff occasionally but isn't really a fan."
Jargon File 4.2.0
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Fan
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.)
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
American Heritage Abbreviations Dictionary 3rd Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
FAN
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The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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