fans

noun

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.

(mathematics) 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.

A surname from Mandarin.

A diminutive of Frances.

A county of Puyang, Henan, China.

(rail transport) The station code of Fanling in Hong Kong.

Initialism of file area network.

(brewing) Initialism of free amino nitrogen, amino acids available for yeast metabolism.

(Hong Kong, dated) A unit of length, equivalent to 0.1 tsun (0.01 chek), or 0.00371475 metres.

verb

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

(transitive) To slap (a behind, especially).

(intransitive, usually to fan out) To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.

(transitive) To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.

(firearms, transitive) To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.

(figurative) To invigorate, like flames when fanned.

To winnow grain.

(rail transport, transitive) To apply (the air brake) many times in rapid succession.

(baseball, intransitive) To strike out.

(baseball, transitive) To strike out (a batter).

Roots

fanaticusfan- · Latin · of a temple, frenzied

Synonyms & related words for fans

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Words related to fans

Explore words related to fans — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include rooter, punkah, devotee, fandom, cheerer, supporters, spectators, fantailed. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does fans come from?

The word fans breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root fan-, from Latin fanaticus (“of a temple, frenzied”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.