fan

Meanings

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.
An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.
The action of fanning; agitation of the air.
Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock mill always in the direction of the wind.
A section of a tree having a finite number of branches
A person who is fond of something or someone, especially an admirer of a performer or aficionado of a sport.

To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.
To slap (a behind, especially).
To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.
To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.
To invigorate, like flames when fanned.
To winnow grain.
To apply (the air brake) many times in rapid succession.
To strike out.
To strike out (a batter).

See :Category:en:Fans (people), for names of different fans or members of fan subcultures.

From Middle English fan, from Old English fann ("a winnowing, fan"), from Latin vannus ("fan for winnowing grain"), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- ("to blow"). Cognate with
Latin ventus ("wind"), Dutch wan ("fan"), German Wanne, Swedish vanna ("a fan for winnowing"), Old English windwian ("to fan, winnow"). More at winnow.
, originally in US baseball slang. Possibly influenced by fancy, i.e. fancy boy.

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