fan

noun10

1. •
   a person who likes someone or something very much, such as a singer, an actor or a team

   • I am a big fan of libraries.
   • I am a big fan of cricket.
2. •
   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.

   • How apt is the flutter of the fan to express the different affections of the belle: there is the angry flutter, the modest flutter, the timorous flutter, the confused flutter etc. — 1876
3. •
   An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.

   • He didn't switch on the fan because the temperature was 15 degrees Celsius.
4. •
   Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
5. •
   The action of fanning; agitation of the air.

   • "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. — 1998
6. •
   An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.

   • 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. — 1611
7. •
   A group of overlapping cards exposed in various patience games.
8. •
   A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock mill always in the direction of the wind.
9. •
   A section of a tree having a finite number of branches.
10. •
    (Hong-Kong, old-fashioned) A unit of length, equivalent to 0.1 tsun (0.01 chek), or 0.00371475 metres.

    • 1 chek (foot) = 14⅝ English inches divided into 10 tsün (inches) and each tsün into ten fan or tenths. — 1939

verb11

1. •
   To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.

   • We enjoyed standing at the edge of the cliff, being fanned by the wind.
2. •
   To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.

   • I attempted to fan the disagreeable odour out of the room.
3. •
   To winnow grain.
4. •
   (figurative) To invigorate, like flames when fanned.

   • She comes, to fan my ardour, She kills me with her kisses. — 1923
5. •
   To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
6. •
   To strike out.
7. •
   To strike out (a batter).
8. •
   To slap (a behind, especially).
9. •
   To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.

   • To fan a single action revolver, hold down the trigger and strike the hammer repeatedly with a free hand. — 2011
10. •
    To apply (the air brake) many times in rapid succession.

    • Fanning the brakes results in the gradual depletion of the pressure in the cars' brake reservoirs, which can eventually cause a loss of all braking.
11. •
    To fail to properly shoot or pass the puck.

noun2

1. •
   Initialism of free amino nitrogen, amino acids available for yeast metabolism.
2. •
   Initialism of file area network.