Fan Meaning

/fæn/
A2

Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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nounA 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.

nounAn electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.

Tim is a huge fan of satirical comedy.
There is a fan on the desk.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The devoted ____ stood in the rain for hours to see her favorite singer.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She is a huge ____ of science fiction novels and has a massive collection of books at home.

Inherited from Middle English fan, inherited from Old English fann (“a winnowing, fan”), derived from Latin vannus (“fan for winnowing grain”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”). Cognates *Latin ventus (“wind”) *Dutch wan (“winnowing basket”) *German Wanne (“winnowing basket”) *Swedish vanna (“a fan for winnowing”) *Old English windwian (“to fan, winnow”). More at winnow.

""If I cannot be of service, then I certainly don't wish to impose," said McGinty, with a quick fan of breeze that indicated a sweeping bow." — 1998, Brock Thoene, Bodie Thoene, A New Frontier: Saga of the Sierras, page 181:
"The oxen likewise and the yong asses that eare the ground, shall eate cleane prouender which hath bene winnowed with the shouell and with the fanne." — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 30:24:
"Whose fanne is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floore, and gather his wheat into the garner: but wil burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire." — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 3:12:
"Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: […]" — 1865 November (indicated as 1866), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “The Pool of Tears”, in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 19:
"Part of it was that as much as I respected filial devotion and as much as I liked Sarah Barstow, it would have been a real satisfaction to put her across my knees and pull up her skirts and giver^([sic]) her a swell fanning, for not taking a look at that driver." — 1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam, published 1992, →ISBN, page 148:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
The devoted ____ stood in the rain for hours to see her favorite singer.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She is a huge ____ of science fiction novels and has a massive collection of books at home.

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