fan
Other forms: fans; fanned; fanning
A fan cools you by moving the air around you. During the warmest weeks of the summer, it's easier to sleep if you have a fan in your bedroom.
Some fans are electric: you plug them in and a large blade turns fast and blows air around the room. Hand fans are small enough to hold, and as you wave them back and forth, they send puffs of air over your hot face. To do this is to fan yourself. A completely different fan is the one who follows a sports team or a rock band devotedly: "The fans jumped to their feet and cheered."
Definitions of fan
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a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
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types:
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blower, electric fan
a fan run by an electric motor
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exhaust fan
a fan that moves air out of an enclosure
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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
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attic fan
a fan that blows heated air out of the attic of a building
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type of:
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device
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
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agitate the air
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separate the chaff from by using air currents
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an ardent follower and admirer
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types:
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aerophile
a lover of aviation
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aficionado
a serious devotee of some activity, genre, or performer
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amorist
one dedicated to love and lovemaking especially one who writes about love
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bacchanal, bacchant
a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus
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groupie
an enthusiastic young fan (especially a young woman who follows rock groups around)
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metalhead
a fan of heavy metal music
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type of:
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follower
a person who accepts the leadership of another
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an enthusiastic devotee of sports
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synonyms:
rooter, sports fan
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types:
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aficionado
a fan of bull fighting
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railbird
a fan of racing who watches races from the outer rail of the track
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type of:
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enthusiast, partisan, partizan
an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity
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aficionado
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make (an emotion) fiercer
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strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)
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type of:
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strike out
put out or be put out by a strikeout
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strike out
Pronunciation
US
/fæn/
UK
/fæn/
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