fan

USFAN/fæn/UKFAHN/faːn/

Pluralfans, fen, fan

Verbfans, fanning, fanned

16 meanings of fan

Practice

1
admirernouncountable
Someone who likes a person, team, or thing very much.
She is a huge fan of that singer.
Thousands of fans cheered when the team scored.
UsageWe say a big fan of a singer or team.
Similaradmirer, supporter, follower, enthusiast, devotee
Oppositecritic, detractor
2
spinning bladesnouncountable
A machine with turning blades, or a thing you wave by hand, used to move air.
Like waving your hand fast near your face, but a machine does it for you.
We turned on the fan to cool the hot room.
Big fans in the ceiling moved air through the warehouse.
3
wave air atverbtransitive
To push air toward something or move smoke away by waving something or using a fan.
Like waving a sheet of paper to push air at someone.
I fan my face with a newspaper when it is hot.
He fanned the smoke away from the grill with a paper plate.
UsageWe say fan yourself with something.
Note
4
spread shapenouncountable
A part or object shaped like an open hand fan, spreading wide at one end.
The peacock spread its tail into a bright fan.
The palm leaves formed green fans against the sky.

Less common meanings

5
spread outverbintransitive
To spread out, or spread things out, from one point, like an open fan.
Like spreading your fingers wide from your palm.
The roads fan out from the town square.
The cards fanned out neatly across the table.
UsageWe usually say fan out.
Similarspread, radiate, branch, disperse, diverge
Oppositeconverge, gather
Note
6
stir upverbfigurativelytransitive
To make a feeling or situation grow stronger, like making a fire burn higher.
Like blowing on a small fire to make it burn bigger.
His harsh words only fanned the crowd's anger.
Wild rumors can fan fears that the factory will close.
UsageWe say words fan the flames: they make anger worse.
Similarstoke, inflame, fuel, kindle, stir
Oppositedampen, quell, allay, defuse
Note
7
strike outverbtransitive
In baseball, to get a batter out with three strikes, or to be out this way.
The pitcher fanned the last batter to end the inning.
He can fan three hitters in a row when he's sharp.
Note
8
one waving motionnouncountable
The act of moving air around by waving something back and forth.
Give the coals a quick fan and they will start to glow.
She gave her hot cheeks a quick fan with the menu.
Similarwave, flutter, waft
9
rapid-fire (gun)verbtransitive
To fire an old-style revolver quickly by slapping its hammer with the free hand.
Like rapidly tapping a button again and again as fast as you can.
The gunslinger fanned his revolver to empty all six chambers in seconds.
Cowboys in the films fan their pistols for dramatic effect.
Note
10
slap (bottom)verbtransitive
To slap someone on the bottom with an open hand.
Like giving a quick smack with your flat hand.
She fanned the toddler's bottom lightly after the tantrum.
Quit that or I'll fan your behind!
Similarspank, smack, slap, swat
Note
11
separate chaffverbtransitive
To toss grain in moving air so the loose husks blow away.
Like blowing on a handful of crumbs to clear away the lightest bits.
Farmers fan the wheat to clear away the chaff.
The women fanned the rice in wide baskets, and the husks blew away.
Similarwinnow, sift
Note
12
grain toolnouncountable
A tool used to toss grain so that the loose husks blow away.
Like a big scoop that helps shake the dust out of grain.
The farmer lifted the fan and tossed the grain into the breeze.
An old winnowing fan hung on the barn wall.
Note
13
length unitnoundatedHong Kongcountable
An old unit of length equal to about 3.7 millimeters.
1 chek (foot) = 14⅝ English inches divided into 10 tsün (inches) and each tsün into ten fan or tenths.
1939, Colonial Reports - Annual IssuesHere, fan means a tiny unit of length, one tenth of a tsün.
Note
14
noun
In math, a branching structure where each point splits into only a limited number of branches, never endlessly many.
15
noun
A small sail on a windmill that turns the big sails to face the wind.
16
verb
To press a train's air brakes again and again very quickly.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of fan apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 2–12

It comes from Old English "fann" (a tool for winnowing grain), which came from Latin "vannus".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Fan comes from Old English fann. en.wiktionary.org
Old English fann meant a tool for winnowing grain. en.wiktionary.org
Old English fann came from Latin vannus. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 1

It is a short form of "fanatic," first used in US baseball slang. It may also have been influenced by the word "fancy."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Fan is a shortened form of fanatic. en.wikipedia.org
The modern enthusiast sense originated in US baseball slang. en.wiktionary.org
Fancy may have influenced the formation of fan. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 13

It comes from the Cantonese word 分.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

The English word fan, denoting a unit of length, comes from Cantonese 分. en.wiktionary.org