Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense fans, present participle fanning, past tense, past participle fanned
1. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
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.
They are both ardent Elvis fans.
As a boy he was a Manchester United fan.
I am a great fan of rave music. [+ of]
Synonyms: supporter, lover, follower, enthusiast More Synonyms of fan
2. countable noun
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.
3. verb
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. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Mo kept bringing me out refreshments and fanning me as it was that hot. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: blow, cool, refresh, air-condition More Synonyms of fan
4. countable noun
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.
Synonyms: blower, ventilator, air conditioner, vane More Synonyms of fan
5. countable noun
You can describe anything that has the shape of a wide 'V' with a curved part above it as a fan.
...its fan of tail feathers.
...a conservatory with an ornate fan-shaped roof.
6. verb
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.
Kneeling in front of the open hearth, Maria was fanning the smoldering fire. [VERB noun]
During the afternoon, hot winds fan the flames. [VERB noun]
7. verb
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. [VERB noun]
...economic problems which often fan hatred. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: stimulate, increase, excite, provoke More Synonyms of fan
8. to fan the flames
9. the shit hit the fan
Phrasal verbs:
See fan out
More Synonyms of fan
fan in British English1
(fæn)
noun
1.
a.
any device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or number of surfaces,esp a rotating device consisting of a number of blades attached to a central hub
b.
a machine that rotates such a device
2.
any of various hand-agitated devices for cooling oneself, esp a collapsible semicircular series of flat segments of paper, ivory, etc
3.
something shaped like such a fan, such as the tail of certain birds
4. agriculture
a.
a kind of basket formerly used for winnowing grain
b.
a machine equipped with a fan for winnowing or cleaning grain
verbWord forms: fans, fanning or fanned(mainly tr)
5.
to cause a current of air, esp cool air, to blow upon, as by means of a fan
to fan one's face
6.
to agitate or move (air, smoke, etc) with or as if with a fan
7.
to make fiercer, more ardent, etc
fan one's passion
8. (also intr; often foll byout)
to spread out or cause to spread out in the shape of a fan
9.
a.
to fire (an automatic gun) continuously by keeping the trigger depressed
b.
to fire (a nonautomatic gun) several times by repeatedly chopping back the hammer with the palm
10.
to winnow (grain) by blowing the chaff away from it
Derived forms
fanlike (ˈfanlike)
adjective
fanner (ˈfanner)
noun
Word origin
Old English fann, from Latin vannus
fan in British English2
(fæn)
noun
1.
an ardent admirer of a pop star, film actor, football team, etc
2.
a devotee of a sport, hobby, etc
Word origin
C17, re-formed C19: from fan(atic)
fan in American English1
(fæn)
noun
1. Obsolete
a device for winnowing grain
2.
any device or machine used to set up a current of air for ventilating or cooling
; specif.,
a.
any flat surface moved by hand
b.
a folding device made of paper, cloth, etc. which when opened has the shape of a sector of a circle
c.
a device consisting of one or more revolving blades or vanes attached to a rotary hub and operated by a motor
3.
anything in the shape of a fan1 (sense 2) fan1 (sense 2b), as the tail of a bird
4.
in a windmill, a small vane that keeps the large vanes, or sails, at right angles to the wind
verb transitiveWord forms: fanned or ˈfanning
5.
to move or agitate (air) with or as with a fan
6.
to direct a current of air toward or on with or as with a fan; blow on
7.
to stir up; excite
8.
to blow or drive away with a fan
9.
to spread out into the shape of a fan1 (sense 2) fan1 (sense 2b)
10.
to separate (grain) from chaff
11. US, Slang
a.
to spank
b.
to fire (a pistol) several times quickly in succession by slapping the hammer back as with the alternate hand between shots
12. US, Baseball
to strike (a batter) out
verb intransitive
13. US, Baseball
to strike out
Idioms:
fan out
fan the air
Word origin
ME fanne < OE fann < L vannus, basket for winnowing grain < IE base *wē-, to blow, flutter > wind2, winnow
fan in American English2
(fæn)
US
noun
a person enthusiastic about a specified sport, pastime, or performer; devotee
a baseball fan, movie fan
Word origin
contr. < fanatic
fan in Automotive Engineering
(fæn)
Word forms: (regular plural) fans
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
A fan is a piece of electrical or mechanical equipment with blades that rotate. It is usedto keep a machine cool or get rid of unpleasant smells.
Despite its large capacity and a five-bladed fan, the engine tends to overheat.
The car has a defect in the main fan which cools the engine.
Mechanics will fix the malfunctioning electronic fan control module that could cause a fire in the engine compartment.
fan in Chemical Engineering
(fæn)
Word forms: (regular plural) fans
noun
(Chemical Engineering: Fluids storage and transport)
A fan is a device in which blades move around and make a free gas flow.
Evaporative condensers spray water directly over the coils and a fan blows air through the falling spray of water.
A propeller fan was used for producing air movement inside the model.
A fan is a device in which blades move around and make a free gas flow.
fan in Mechanical Engineering
(fæn)
Word forms: (regular plural) fans
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Fluid engineering)
A fan is a device with spinning blades that create a flow of gas.
The fan cools the engine by blowing air over the cylinders.
A 12V fan blows air through one end of the channel to cool the inverter and the tubes.
A fan is a device with spinning blades that create a flow of gas.
More idioms containing
fan
fan the flames
COBUILD Collocations
fan
die-hard fan
disgruntled fan
hardcore fan
keen fan
lifelong fan
long-suffering fan
massive fan
obsessive fan
Examples of 'fan' in a sentence
fan
We feel strongly that fans get a proper process.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His rags to riches story struck a chord with all football fans last season.
The Sun (2016)
The edits did have one fan.
The Sun (2016)
Now this season we are flying high in the league, which is great for the fans.
The Sun (2016)
But Oztumer is not the biggest fan of the moniker.
The Sun (2016)
It features archive footage and memories from friends, colleagues and famous fans.
The Sun (2016)
I am aware of how proud we make the fans when we get a good result.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
FOOTIE fans face a rail nightmare as they try to get to away games today.
The Sun (2016)
Because our fans are great.
The Sun (2017)
A couple of very young fans were filmed screaming some choice Anglo-Saxon at the away support.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
There was one lone fan waiting in the cold for his autograph.
John Fisher Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing (2006)
British fans especially are going to love it.
The Sun (2016)
We want to win and make the fans happy.
The Sun (2013)
And if you are a fan of both actors you should climb aboard.
The Sun (2009)
Fans of battered faces smeared in ketchup will not be disappointed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Who is your most famous celebrity fan?
The Sun (2013)
Sadly only in the eyes of the most ardent football fans.
The Sun (2011)
There were more bubbles floating in the night air than fans in the stands.
The Sun (2014)
Best left to ardent fans of the films.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
When we arrived we asked to cool off in front of an electric fan.
Carlos Acosta No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer's Tale (2007)
The reaction from rugby fans was one of predictable disgust.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Football fans make themselves vulnerable by their adoration of a single club.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Our fans make you feel humble.
The Sun (2015)
Now they want our football fans to sing in German.
The Sun (2006)
Yet for almost two hours he carried the crowd with genuine charm and a canny knack of making his fans feel like friends.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The team has always seemed spectacular, especially their fans.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I had a great reaction from fans.
The Sun (2011)
THE devotion of football fans still amazes me.
The Sun (2014)
Big fan of video games?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Manchester City also has great fans.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Your biggest fears are fans trying to get on to the pitch or something causing a surge that puts people's safety in jeopardy.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
fan
British English: fan /fæn/ NOUN
If you are a fan of someone or something, you admire them and are very interested in them.
Fans of the actor will love this movie.
American English: fan
Arabic: مُعْجَب
Brazilian Portuguese: fã
Chinese: 迷
Croatian: ljubitelj
Czech: fanoušek
Danish: fan
Dutch: fan
European Spanish: fan
Finnish: tuuletin
French: amateur
German: Ventilator
Greek: ανεμιστήρας
Italian: ventilatore
Japanese: 扇風機
Korean: 선풍기
Norwegian: vifte
Polish: wentylator
European Portuguese: ventoinha
Romanian: fan
Russian: поклонник
Latin American Spanish: admirador
Swedish: fläkt ventilationsapparat
Thai: พัดลม
Turkish: vantilatör
Ukrainian: прихильник
Vietnamese: người hâm mộ
British English: fan VERB
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.
American English: fan
Brazilian Portuguese: abanar
Chinese: 给…扇风
European Spanish: abanicarse
French: éventer
German: fächeln
Italian: far vento a
Japanese: あおぐ
Korean: 부채질하다
European Portuguese: abanar
Latin American Spanish: abanicarse
All related terms of 'fan'
fan out
If a group of people or things fan out , they move forwards away from a particular point in different directions .
fan-tan
a Chinese gambling game in which a random number of counters are placed under a bowl and wagers laid on how many will remain after they have been divided by four
sea fan
any of various corals of the genus Gorgonia and related genera, having a treelike or fan-shaped horny skeleton : order Gorgonacea ( gorgonians )
fan base
The fan base of someone such as a pop star or a pop group is their fans, considered as a whole .
fan belt
In a car engine, the fan belt is the belt that drives the fan which keeps the engine cool.
fan club
A fan club is an organized group of people who all admire the same person or thing, for example a pop singer or pop group. Members of the fan club receive information and can take part in activities such as trips to concerts .
fan dance
a dance in which large fans are manipulated in front of the body, partially revealing or suggesting nakedness
fan-made
(esp of a video ) produced by one or more admirers of a TV series , film franchise , etc
fan mail
mail sent to a famous person, such as a pop musician or film star , by admirers
fan oven
an electric oven in which a fan circulates the air and which uses both top and bottom heat
fan palm
any of various palm trees, such as the talipot and palmetto , that have fan-shaped leaves
fan worm
any tube-dwelling polychaete worm of the family Sabellidae , having long tentacles that spread into a fan when the worm emerges from its tube
fan zone
a public area where refreshments and entertainment are provided to fans before and during a nearby event
film fan
a person who is very fond of watching cinema films
keen fan
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.
ceiling fan
a fan fitted to the ceiling
cooling fan
(in an automotive vehicle) a device that keeps an engine cool
fan fiction
fiction written by a fan of, and involving characters featured in, a particular film, television series , etc
fan heater
a space heater consisting of an electrically heated element with an electrically driven fan to disperse the heat by forced convection
fan letter
a letter sent by an admiring fan , as to a celebrity
fan letters
mail sent to a famous person, such as a pop musician or film star, by admirers
fan-shaped
shaped like a fan
fan tracery
the carved ornamentation on fan vaulting
massive fan
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.
sports fan
a person who is enthusiastic about sports
alluvial fan
a fan-shaped accumulation of silt , sand , gravel , and boulders deposited by fast-flowing mountain rivers when they reach flatter land
extractor fan
a fan used in kitchens , bathrooms , workshops , etc, to remove stale air or fumes
fan favourite
Your favourite thing or person of a particular type is the one you like most.
fan magazine
a magazine containing information and gossip about celebrities
fan vaulting
vaulting having ribs that radiate like those of a fan and spring from the top of a capital or corbel
hardcore fan
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.
lifelong fan
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.
obsessive fan
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.
die-hard fan
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.
disgruntled fan
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.
fan the air
to strike at but fail to hit something
hit the fan
to become suddenly embarrassing , troublesome , etc.; have a strong negative effect
fan the flames
to make a bad situation worse
fansite
a website dedicated to a particular person or subject and run by a fan or fans of the person or subject
fan-assisted oven
an electric oven in which a fan circulates the air and which uses both top and bottom heat
long-suffering fan
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.
to fan the flames
If someone or something fans the flames of a situation or feeling, usually a bad one, they make it more intense or extreme in some way.
fanfic
fiction written by a fan of, and involving characters featured in, a particular film, television series, etc
the shit hits the fan
the real trouble begins
the shit hit the fan
If someone says that the shit hit the fan , they mean that there was suddenly a lot of trouble or angry arguments.
when the shit hits the fan
at the time that a crisis point is reached or disaster takes place
be a member of someone's fan club
to approve of someone strongly
fantail
a breed of domestic pigeon having a large tail that can be opened like a fan
Chinese translation of 'fan'
fan
(fæn)
n(c)
(= admirer)[of pop star]迷 (mí) (个(個), gè)
(Sport) 球迷 (qiúmí) (个(個), gè)
(Elec) 风(風)扇 (fēngshàn) (台, tái)
(handheld) 扇子 (shànzi) (把, bǎ)
vt
[face, person]扇 (shàn)
[fire]煽 (shān)
(fig)[fears, hatred]煽动(動) (shāndòng)
All related terms of 'fan'
anti ...
( expressing opposition ) 反 fǎn
commit
( crime, offence ) 犯 fàn ( sin, adultery ) 做 zuò
make
( produce, form : object, clothes, cake ) 做 zuò ⇒ Sheila makes her own bread. → 希拉自己做面包。 Xīlā zìjǐ zuò miànbāo. ( noise ) 制(製)造 zhìzào ⇒ We made a terrible racket as we came out of the club. → 我们大声喧哗着出了夜总会。 Wǒmen dàshēng xuānhuázhe chūle yèzǒnghùi. ( speech ) 发(發)表 fābiǎo ⇒ He made a speech about the need for unity. → 他发表了有关统一之必要的演讲。 Tā fābiǎo le yǒuguān tǒngyī zhī bìyào de yǎnjiǎng. ( remark, suggestion ) 提出 tíchū ⇒ May I make a suggestion? → 我能提个建议吗？ Wǒ néng tí ge jiànyì ma? ( mistake ) 犯 fàn ⇒ You have made a terrible mistake. → 你犯了个严重的错误。 Nǐ fàn le gè yánzhòng de cuòwù.
sail
( of boat, yacht ) 帆 fān [ 张(張) zhāng ]
turn
( change ) 转(轉)变(變) zhuǎnbiàn [ 次 cì ] ⇒ every twist and turn in government policy → 政府政策的每一次扭转 zhèngfǔ zhèngcè de měi yī cì niǔzhuǎn