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to fan

to fan

7 1.0
To move air by waving something like a piece of paper
  • verb
  • /fæn/
translation icon : abanicar
  • Wenatchee police Sgt. John Kruse says gusty winds could fan the flames of dozens of blazes.

Examples

  • On a hot day, I like to fan myself to feel cooler.

  • I had to put more paper on the fire and fan it with the cookie sheet before it flared up.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Sore as I was, I tried to fan with my left arm.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • You can fan me while I make the salad dressing.

  • We had to open one window, and one guy used cardboard to fan the smoke outside.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • When the smoke curls from his nose, Yolanda fans it away with her hand.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • He can fetch water and props and fan us when it's hot.

  • She used a magazine to fan the flames and help the fire grow.

  • To make the room more comfortable, he decided to fan the air towards himself.

Synonyms

to blow
vsto fan
711 1.0

To move air forcefully using your mouth, wind, or a fan

is done by waving a handheld object to move air gently

Idioms

8 7.2

To make an argument or feeling worse by encouraging it

Phrasal Verbs

30 3.7

To spread out from one point in different directions

Compounds

353 1.6

A person who likes and supports someone or something

194 1.9

A person who really likes and supports someone or something

38 3.2

A group of people who strongly support someone like a singer or sports team

29 1.3

A person who loves watching and supporting sports teams

22 2.7

Letters or messages people send to a celebrity to show they like them

9 2.7

A message from someone who likes a famous person, showing praise or support

7 3.0

A person or thing many fans like most

fan belt
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A belt in a car engine that turns the fan to cool the engine

fan fiction
  • Jargon
5 3.5

A story fans write using people and places from books or films

A person who really likes the Star Wars movies and stories

4 2.7

A person who loves and supports a team, person, or group a lot

4 3.2

A fan that moves smoke or moist air out of a room to make it less stuffy

hardcore fan
  • Informal
3 3.7

A person who loves something like a band or team a lot and shows strong support

1 2.8

A flat narrow piece on a fan that turns to move air

1 1.0

A machine with turning blades that uses electricity to move air and cool a room or people

1 3.7

A fan in the attic that pushes out hot air to cool the house

fair-weather fan
  • Informal
1 7.4

A person who supports a team only when it is winning

alluvial fan
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A fan-shaped area of sand and stones that forms where a fast stream slows and spreads at a mountain base

fan dance
  • NSFW
1 8.6

A solo dance using large feather fans to hide and show the body in a sexy way

1 9.9

A Chinese gambling game where players bet on how many counters remain under a bowl after grouping them by four

1 6.3

The spread of information or products from one sender to many people

6.8

A dance in which dancers move fans in slow graceful ways for a show or celebration

fan fern
  • Australian
8.9

A large plant that grows in Australia and New Zealand with fan-shaped leaves that split many times

fan palm
  • Specialized
5.3

A tropical tree with large leaves shaped like a fan

fan tracery
  • Specialized
9.9

Stone patterns that form on a fan-shaped ceiling in Gothic cathedrals

fan vaulting
  • Specialized
9.1

A stone ceiling with ribs that spread out like a fan in Gothic churches

fan-jet
  • Specialized
6.4

An engine with a large fan that pushes extra air to make the plane go faster

fan-jet
  • Specialized
7.0

A plane powered by an engine with a large fan that makes it go faster

fan-out
  • Specialized
7.9

The number of other electronic parts a single device can drive

fan-out
  • Specialized
7.3

The number of other program parts a single part calls or depends on

miniature fan palm
  • Specialized
8.4

A small tropical plant with fan-shaped leaves, thin stems, and loose fibers at the leaf bases

A person who likes watching movies and often goes to the cinema

6.5

A flat, tree-shaped coral that grows in warm shallow seas

How Strong

to blow
711 1.0
to fan
7 1.0
to flap
54 1.4
to wave
64 1.0
to waft
28 5.1

Surface Forms

fan infinitive
fanned past
fanned past participle
fanning present participle
fans third person singular

Etymology

Fan The verb fan comes from the simple action of waving a flat object, like a piece of paper or your hand, to move air and cool something. So, to fan is to 'move air' or blow something away.