fan
English meaning: Fan
Definition
A 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.
Example
“On a hot day, the ceiling fan barely moved the warm air around.”
Another example: “She's a huge fan of jazz and never misses a live show.”
Usage — When, Where & How
An everyday noun with two main senses: a device for moving air to cool, and an enthusiastic supporter of a team, performer or hobby; the supporter sense is informal in tone and shortened from 'fanatic'.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
The cooling-device sense comes from Old English 'fann' (a basket for winnowing grain), from Latin 'vannus'; the supporter sense is a late-19th-century American shortening of 'fanatic'.
Synonyms
- devotee
- buff
- afficionado
- winnow
- lover
- strike out
- sports fan
Antonyms / Opposites
- critic
- detractor
Related Words
Common Collocations
- ceiling fan
- electric fan
- huge fan
- die-hard fan
- fan base
- fan of
Word Forms
fan (n & v); fans; fanned; fanning
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B