Library / English Dictionary

FAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: fanned    , fanning   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fan" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fan"):

blower; electric fan (a fan run by an electric motor)

exhaust fan (a fan that moves air out of an enclosure)

punkah (a large fan consisting of a frame covered with canvas that is suspended from the ceiling; used in India for circulating air in a room)

Holonyms ("fan" is a part of...):

cooling system; engine cooling system (equipment in a motor vehicle that cools the engine)

Derivation:

fan (agitate the air)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An ardent follower and admirer

Synonyms:

buff; devotee; fan; lover

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("fan" is a kind of...):

follower (a person who accepts the leadership of another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fan"):

aerophile (a lover of aviation)

aficionado (a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer)

amorist (one dedicated to love and lovemaking especially one who writes about love)

bacchanal; bacchant (a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus)

groupie (an enthusiastic young fan (especially a young woman who follows rock groups around))

metalhead (a fan of heavy metal music)

Holonyms ("fan" is a member of...):

followers; following (a group of followers or enthusiasts)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An enthusiastic devotee of sports

Synonyms:

fan; rooter; sports fan

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("fan" is a kind of...):

enthusiast; partisan; partizan (an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fan"):

aficionado (a fan of bull fighting)

railbird (a fan of racing who watches races from the outer rail of the track)

Derivation:

fandom (the fans of a sport or famous person)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Blow away or off with a current of air

Example:

The speaker ceased to be an amusing little gnat to be fanned away and was kicked off the forum

Synonyms:

fan; winnow

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fan" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make (an emotion) fiercer

Example:

fan hatred

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fan" is one way to...):

compound; deepen; heighten; intensify (make more intense, stronger, or more marked)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fan" is one way to...):

strike out (put out or be put out by a strikeout)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Agitate the air

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fan" is one way to...):

agitate; shake (move or cause to move back and forth)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fan"):

winnow (blow on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

fan (a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces)

Credits

 Context examples: 

If you are a public figure or influencer, your community of followers and fans will multiply in social media and in other ways, too.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It’s a bit like a stadium or “Mexican” wave of sports fans standing up after the people next to them to create a wave-like motion through the crowd.

(Plants can tell time even without a brain, University of Cambridge)

The fires, believed to have been sparked by lightning on Saturday, were fanned by dry, hot winds as temperatures reached 41 C (106 F) throughout Sunday.

(Australian Wildfires Destroy Homes, Kill Cattle as Hundreds of People Flee, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

As he did so, a draught of air fanned him, and a large, winged body swept ominously and silently past.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A pair of silk stockings, that pretty carved fan, and a lovely blue sash.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

With each impact, a small shock wave fans out and ejects water from the surrounding area.

(Meteoroid Strikes Eject Precious Water From Moon, NASA)

The team believes the plants will work inside homes, but that the home would need good airflow or a fan directed at the plant for maximum effectiveness.

(Common Houseplant with Genetic Modification Can Remove Polluted Air, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

For colorful, graceful sea fans swaying on coral reefs in the waters around Puerto Rico, copper is an emerging threat in an era of warming oceans.

(Sea fan corals face new threat in warming ocean: copper, National Science Foundation)

When he came back he fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The dorms without AC were louder at night because of fan and street noise, which could have disrupted sleep.

(Hot Dorm Rooms Could Affect Students' Memory, Sadie Witkowski/VOA)