fan
1[ fan ]
/ fæn /
Save This Word!
noun
verb (used with object), fanned, fan·ning.
verb (used without object), fanned, fan·ning.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Idioms about fan
hit the fan, Slang. to become suddenly more awkward, embarrassing, or troublesome: When news of the incident was leaked to the press, everything hit the fan at once.See also shit (def. 26).
Origin of fan
1First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English fann, from Latin vannus “winnowing basket”
OTHER WORDS FROM fan
fanlike, adjectivefanner, nounun·fanned, adjectiveOther definitions for fan (2 of 3)
fan2
[ fan ]
/ fæn /
noun
an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.
OTHER WORDS FOR fan
Origin of fan
2An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; short for fanatic
Other definitions for fan (3 of 3)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fan in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for fan (1 of 2)
fan1
/ (fæn) /
noun
verb fans, fanning or fanned (mainly tr)
Derived forms of fan
fanlike, adjectivefanner, nounWord Origin for fan
Old English fann, from Latin vannus
British Dictionary definitions for fan (2 of 2)
fan2
/ (fæn) /
noun
an ardent admirer of a pop star, film actor, football team, etc
a devotee of a sport, hobby, etc
Word Origin for fan
C17, re-formed C19: from fan (atic)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with fan
fan
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.