fan

fan¹ W2S2 [fæn] n

[Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: fanatic]

[Sense: 2; Date: 700-800; : Latin; Origin: vannus]

1.) someone who likes a particular sport or performing art very much, or who admires a famous person

▪ Hundreds of football fans began rioting in the streets.

fan of

▪ He's a big fan of Elvis Presley.

fan mail/letters

(=letters sent to famous people by their fans)

2.)

a) a machine with turning blades that is used to cool the air in a room by moving it around

▪ a ceiling fan

b) a flat object that you wave with your hand which makes the air cooler

fan ²

fan² v [T] past tense and past participle fanned present participle fanning

1.) to make air move around by waving a fan, piece of paper etc so that you feel cooler

fan yourself

▪ People in the audience were fanning themselves with their programmes.

2.) literary to make someone feel an emotion more strongly

= ↑fuel

▪ Her resistance only fanned his desire.

fan the flames (of sth)

▪ The book will serve to fan the flames of debate like no other.

3.) fan a fire/flame etc

to make a fire burn more strongly by blowing or moving the air near it

▪ Then the wind rose, fanning a few sparks in the brush.

fan out phr v

1.) if a group of people fan out, they walk forwards while spreading over a wide area

2.) fan sth<=>out

to spread out a group of things that you are holding so that they make a half-circle

▪ Fan the cards out, then pick one.

3.) if something such as hair or clothing fans out, it spreads out in many directions