British English : fan If you fan yourself or your face when you are hot, you wave a fan or other flat object in order to make yourself feel cooler. VERBShe would have to wait in the truck, fanning herself with a piece of cardboard.
noun
any device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or number of surfaces, esp a rotating device consisting of a number of blades attached to a central hub a machine that rotates such a device
any device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or number of surfaces, esp a rotating device consisting of a number of blades attached to a central hub
a machine that rotates such a device
any of various hand-agitated devices for cooling oneself, esp a collapsible semicircular series of flat segments of paper, ivory, etc
something shaped like such a fan, such as the tail of certain birds
(agriculture ) a kind of basket formerly used for winnowing grain a machine equipped with a fan for winnowing or cleaning grain
a kind of basket formerly used for winnowing grain
a machine equipped with a fan for winnowing or cleaning grain
any device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or number of surfaces, esp a rotating device consisting of a number of blades attached to a central hub
a machine that rotates such a device
a kind of basket formerly used for winnowing grain
a machine equipped with a fan for winnowing or cleaning grain
verb
to cause a current of air, esp cool air, to blow upon, as by means of a fan ⇒ to fan one's face
to agitate or move (air, smoke, etc) with or as if with a fan
to make fiercer, more ardent, etc ⇒ fan one's passion
(also intransitive) often foll by out to spread out or cause to spread out in the shape of a fan
to fire (an automatic gun) continuously by keeping the trigger depressed to fire (a nonautomatic gun) several times by repeatedly chopping back the hammer with the palm
to fire (an automatic gun) continuously by keeping the trigger depressed
to fire (a nonautomatic gun) several times by repeatedly chopping back the hammer with the palm
to winnow (grain) by blowing the chaff away from it
to fire (an automatic gun) continuously by keeping the trigger depressed
to fire (a nonautomatic gun) several times by repeatedly chopping back the hammer with the palm
noun
an ardent admirer of a pop star, film actor, football team, etc