any device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or number of surfaces, esp a rotating device consisting of a number of blades attached to a central hub
b.
a machine that rotates such a device
2.
any of various hand-agitated devices for cooling oneself, esp a collapsible semicircular series of flat segments of paper, ivory, etc
3.
something shaped like such a fan, such as the tail of certain birds
4. agriculture
a.
a kind of basket formerly used for winnowing grain
b.
a machine equipped with a fan for winnowing or cleaning grain
verbWord forms: fans, fanning or fanned(mainly tr)
5.
to cause a current of air, esp cool air, to blow upon, as by means of a fan
to fan one's face
6.
to agitate or move (air, smoke, etc) with or as if with a fan
7.
to make fiercer, more ardent, etc
fan one's passion
8. (also intr; often foll byout)
to spread out or cause to spread out in the shape of a fan
9.
a.
to fire (an automatic gun) continuously by keeping the trigger depressed
b.
to fire (a nonautomatic gun) several times by repeatedly chopping back the hammer with the palm
10.
to winnow (grain) by blowing the chaff away from it
Derived forms
fanlike (ˈfanlike)
adjective
fanner (ˈfanner)
noun
Word origin
Old English fann, from Latin vannus
Examples of 'fanning' in a sentence
fanning
Her grandmother was fanning her with a piece of cardboard.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But that tension had a lot to do with fanning the artistic fire.
The Sun (2016)
I sat there in rehearsals with my nose in the air, fanning myself.
The Sun (2012)
Labour finds the issue unnerving because it fears fanning nationalist flames.