Meaning

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..

Definitions by Sense

1. 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.
2. An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.
3. The action of fanning; agitation of the air.
4. Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
5. An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
6. A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock mill always in the direction of the wind.
7. (card games) A group of overlapping cards exposed in various patience games.
8. (mathematics) A section of a tree having a finite number of branches.

Example Sentences

He didn't switch on the fan because the temperature was 15 degrees Celsius.

"If I cannot be of service, then I certainly don't wish to impose," said McGinty, with a quick fan of breeze that indicated a sweeping bow.

The oxen likewise and the yong asses that eare the ground, shall eate cleane prouender which hath bene winnowed with the shouell and with the fanne.

Whose fanne is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floore, and gather his wheat into the garner: but wil burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire.

We enjoyed standing at the edge of the cliff, being fanned by the wind.

Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: […]

Part of it was that as much as I respected filial devotion and as much as I liked Sarah Barstow, it would have been a real satisfaction to put her across my knees and pull up her skirts and giver^([sic]) her a swell fanning, for not taking a look at that driver.

I attempted to fan the disagreeable odour out of the room.

Word Forms

• fans
• fanning
• fanned
• fen
• fan

Synonyms for fan

Antonyms for fan

Related Words

When Should You Use Fan?

Use fan when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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