fan [fanfansfannedfanning] noun, verb BrE [fæn] NAmE [fæn] noun 1. a person who admires sb/sth or enjoys watching or listening to sb/sth very much •movie fans •crowds of football fans •a big fan of Madonna •fan mail (= letters from fans to the person they admire) 2. a machine with blades that go round to create a current of air •to switch on the electric fan •a fan heater see also ↑extractor 3. a thing that you hold in your hand and wave to create a current of cool air see when the shit hits the fan at ↑shitn.
Word Origin: n. senses 2 to 3 and v. Old English fann fannian Latin vannus ‘winnowing fan’ ↑vanen. sense 1 late 19th cent. ↑fanatic
Thesaurus: fan noun C •She's a great fan of Madonna. enthusiast • • admirer • • lover • • devotee • • follower • |BrE supporter • |sometimes disapproving fanatic • • addict • a great fan/enthusiast/admirer/lover a keen fan/enthusiast/admirer/follower/supporter a music/art/jazz fan/enthusiast/lover/devotee/fanatic a sports/football/boxing/cricket, etc. fan/enthusiast/devotee/fanatic
Example Bank: •For armchair fans back home, it was one of the highlights of the Olympics. •Hundreds of fans besieged the star's hotel. •Hundreds of fans clamoured/clamored to catch a glimpse of the star. •I have a piece of fan fiction on their website. •I'm a big fan of Italian food. •More than 40 000 fans turned up for the 12-hour event. •Only diehard Tolkien fans will enjoy this book. •Over 120 000 fans packed into the stadium. •Over 25 000 fans applauded both teams off the field. •Soccer fans converged on the capital for the cup final. •Tennis fans flocked to Wimbledon. •The actress is asking the court to protect her from an obsessive fan who is making her life a misery. •The big band sound of Syd Lawrence and his Orchestra will delight fans. •The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans. •The show has an extensive and loyal fan base. •The singer says her dad is her number one fan. •There were clashes between opposing fans after the game. •a fan blowing cold air •a film that millions of rabid fans have waited years to see •one of the team's biggest fans •Crowds of football fans filled the streets. •He's always been a big fan of Pavarotti. •He's a big Yankees fan. •Movie fans will be familiar with his work already. •She received bags of fan mail. Idiom: ↑fan the flames Derived: ↑fan out▪ ↑fan something out
verb (-nn-) 1.~ sb/sth/yourself to make air blow onto sb/sth by waving a fan, your hand, etc • He fanned himself with a newspaper to cool down. • A warm breeze fanned her cheeks. 2.~ sth to make a fire burn more strongly by blowing on it •Fanned by a westerly wind, the fire spread rapidly through the city. 3.~ sth (literary)to make a feeling, an attitude, etc. stronger Syn: ↑fuel •His reluctance to answer her questions simply fanned her curiosity. Verb forms:
Word Origin: n. senses 2 to 3 and v. Old English fann fannian Latin vannus ‘winnowing fan’ ↑vanen. sense 1 late 19th cent. ↑fanatic
