fan

English Online Dictionary. What means fan‎? What does fan mean?

Translingual

Symbol

fan

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Fang (Bantu).

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Fang (Bantu) terms

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæn/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /faːn/
• (æ-tensing) IPA^(key): [fɛən], [feən], [fɛːn]
• Rhymes: -æn
• Homophones: faan, fanne

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle English fan, inherited from Old English fann (“a winnowing, fan”), derived from Latin vannus (“fan for winnowing grain”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).

More at winnow.

Noun

fan (plural fans)

1. 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.
3. An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.
4. The action of fanning; agitation of the air.
5. Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
6. An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
7. A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock mill always in the direction of the wind.
8. (mathematics) A section of a tree having a finite number of branches

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

fan (third-person singular simple present fans, present participle fanning, simple past and past participle fanned)

1. (transitive) To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.
2. (transitive) To slap (a behind, especially).
3. (intransitive, usually to fan out) To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
4. (transitive) To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.

5. (firearms, transitive) To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.
6. (figurative) To invigorate, like flames when fanned.
7. To winnow grain.
8. (rail transport, transitive) To apply (the air brake) many times in rapid succession.

9. (baseball, intransitive) To strike out.
10. (baseball, transitive) To strike out (a batter).

Derived terms

Related terms

• (to firing a revolver by holding trigger and hitting hammer) thumbing

Translations

Etymology 2

Clipping of fanatic, originally in US baseball slang. Possibly influenced by fancy (“group of sport or hobby enthusiasts”), i.e. fancy boy (“fan”).

Noun

fan (plural fans or fen)

2. A person who is fond of something or someone, especially an admirer of a performer or aficionado of a sport.

Usage notes

The plural fen is only used within science fiction fandom. See fen, etymology 3, for more information.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:fan

Antonyms

• anti-fan
• hater

Hyponyms

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

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “fan”, in Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved 1 January 2017: “1889, American English, originally of baseball enthusiasts, probably a shortening of fanatic, but it may be influenced by the fancy, a collective term for followers of a certain hobby or sport (especially boxing)”

Etymology 3

From Cantonese 分. Doublet of fen and hoon.

Noun

fan (plural fan)

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

See also

Anagrams

• AFN, ANF, FNA, NAF, NFA

Bambara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [fã˦ã˨]

Etymology 1

Noun

fan

1. egg

Etymology 2

Noun

fan

1. direction, side

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.
• Richard Nci Diarra, Lexique bambara-français-anglais, December 13, 2010

Catalan

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -an

Verb

fan

1. third-person plural present indicative of fer

Chibcha

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βan/

Noun

fan

1. Alternative form of ban

References

• Gómez Aldana D. F., Análisis morfológico del Vocabulario 158 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Grupo de Investigación Muysccubun. 2013.
• Quesada Pacheco, Miguel Ángel. 1991. El vocabulario mosco de 1612. En estudios de Lingüística Chibcha. Programa de investigación del departamento de lingüística de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Serie Anual Tomo X San José (Costa Rica). Universidad de Costa Rica.

Chuukese

Noun

fan

1. church (building)

   Ka mochen fiti fan? ― Do you want to attend church?

2. time (instance or occurrence)

Preposition

fan

1. under

Cimbrian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Preposition

fan (Sette Comuni)

1. on

   au fan tiss ― on the table (literally, “up on table”)

2. in

   übar fan Ròan ― in Canove (literally, “over in Canove”)

Usage notes

Often used in conjunction with adverbs, such as au (“up”), übar (“over”), abe (“down”).

References

• “fan” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• (Belgium) IPA^(key): /fɑn/
• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): /fɛn/

Noun

fan m (plural fans, diminutive fannetje n)

1. fan (admirer)

Synonyms

• aanhanger
• bewonderaar
• supporter

Finnish

Etymology

From English fan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɑn/, [ˈfɑ̝n]
• IPA^(key): /ˈfæn/, [ˈfæn]
• Rhymes: -ɑn
• Hyphenation^(key): fan

Noun

fan

1. fan, admirer, aficionado

Declension

Synonyms

• fani

Further reading

• “fan”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fan/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English fan, 1920s.

Noun

fan m or f by sense (plural fans)

1. fan (admirer, supporter)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English fan.

Noun

fan f (plural fans)

1. (North America) fan (ventilator)

Further reading

• “fan”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin famēs.

Noun

fan f

1. hunger

Related terms

• famâ

Galician

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English fan.

Noun

fan m or f by sense (plural fans)

1. fan (admirer or aficionado)

Related terms

• fanático
• fanatismo

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

fan

1. third-person plural present indicative of facer

Further reading

• “fan”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Gothic

Romanization

fan

1. Romanization of 𐍆𐌰𐌽

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɒn]
• Hyphenation: fan

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finno-Ugric *puna (“hair”). Possibly a doublet of pina.

Noun

fan (plural fanok)

1. (obsolete) pubis

   Synonyms: (the region) szeméremtájék, (the bone) szeméremcsont, (mons pubis) szeméremdomb

2. (obsolete) pubic hair

   Synonyms: szeméremszőrzet, fanszőrzet

Usage notes

Today it is used only in compounds.

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From English fan.

Noun

fan (plural fanok)

1. (neologism, colloquial) fan (a person who is fond of something or someone, especially an admirer of a performer or aficionado of a sport)

   Synonym: rajongó

Declension

References

Further reading

• (pubis; admirer, aficionado): fan in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).
• (pubis): fan , mostly redirecting to fanszőr in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh: A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“An Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (pubis): fan in Czuczor, Gergely and János Fogarasi: A magyar nyelv szótára (“A Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”). Pest: Emich Gusztáv Magyar Akadémiai Nyomdász, 1862–1874.
• (pubis): fan at A Pallas nagy lexikona, Pallas Irodalmi és Nyomdai Rt., Budapest, 1897
• (pubis): László Országh, Magyar–angol szótár (“Hungarian–English Dictionary”), Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1977

Indonesian

Etymology

From English fan (“a person who is fond of something or someone”), clipping of fanatic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɛn]
• Hyphenation: fan

Noun

fan (plural fan-fan)

1. fan: a person who is fond of something or someone

   Synonyms: pengagum, penggemar

2. fan device

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “fan” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish fanaid, from Old Irish anaid (“to stay, remain, abide”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fˠanˠ/

Verb

fan (present analytic fanann, future analytic fanfaidh, verbal noun fanacht, past participle fanta)

1. to wait
2. to stay

Conjugation

Mutation

Istriot

Etymology

From Latin fāmes.

Noun

fan

1. hunger

Italian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfan/, /ˈfɛn/
• Rhymes: -an, -ɛn
• Hyphenation: fàn

Noun

fan m or f by sense (plural fans)

1. fan (admirer or follower)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfan/
• Rhymes: -an
• Hyphenation: fàn

Verb

fan

1. Apocopic form of fanno

References

Japanese

Romanization

fan

1. Rōmaji transcription of ファン

Kanuri

Verb

fàn+

1. hear
2. understand
3. feel

Mandarin

Romanization

fan

1. Nonstandard spelling of fān.
2. Nonstandard spelling of fán.
3. Nonstandard spelling of fǎn.
4. Nonstandard spelling of fàn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English fann, from Latin vannus. Forms in v- are due to a combination of Southern Middle English voicing of initial fricatives and influence from the ultimate Latin etymon.

Alternative forms

• fanne, ffanne, vanne

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fan/, /van/

Noun

fan (plural fannes)

1. A mechanism or device for removing chaff from grain (i.e. winnowing).
2. A training or practice shield manufactured out of twigs or wickerwork.
3. (rare) A fan; a device for blowing air as to cool.

Descendants

• English: fan, van
• Scots: fan

References

• “fan(ne, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-31.

Etymology 2

Verb

fan

1. Alternative form of fannen

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English fan, where it was a clipping of fanatic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæn/

Noun

fan m (definite singular fanen, indefinite plural fans, definite plural fanane)

1. (countable) a fan (person who is fond of someone or something)

Etymology 2

Noun

fan m

1. (swear word, in juxtapositions) Alternative form of faen

References

• “fan” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Pronunciation

Verb

fan

1. third-person plural present indicative of faire

Old Dutch

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *fanē.

Preposition

fan

1. off, from

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: van
  • Dutch: van
    • Afrikaans: van
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: fan
    • Javindo: fan
    • Jersey Dutch: vān, fān, f'n
    • Negerhollands: van, fan, fa
      • → Virgin Islands Creole: fam
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: fan
  • Limburgish: ven

Further reading

• “fan”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *fą̄han.

Verb

fān

1. to catch

Conjugation

Derived terms

• anafān
• antfān
• bifān

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: vâen
  • Dutch: vangen
    • Afrikaans: vang
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: fanggi
    • Negerhollands: vang, faṅ
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: fank
    • → Aukan: fanga
    • → Sranan Tongo: fanga
      • → Caribbean Javanese: fangah, mangah
  • Limburgish: vange

Further reading

• “fān”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Noun

fan f

1. Alternative form of fann

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

• fana, fon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *afanē, *fanē, whence also Old High German fon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɑn/

Preposition

fan

1. from
   • Heliand, verse 2984-2985

Descendants

• Middle Low German: van, von
  • Dutch Low Saxon: van
  • German Low German: van, von, vun

References

Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfan/
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: fan

Noun

fan m pers (female equivalent fanka, related adjective fanowski)

1. fan (person who is fond of something or someone, especially an admirer of a performer or aficionado of a sport)

   Synonyms: entuzjasta, wielbiciel, miłośnik, zapaleniec

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• fan in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• fan in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Rohingya

Noun

fan

1. betel leaf

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English fan or French fan.

Noun

fan m (plural fani)

1. fan (admirer, supporter)

Declension

Scots

Conjunction

fan

1. Doric Scots form of whan

Adverb

fan (not comparable)

1. Doric Scots form of whan

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish anaid, fanaid (“stays, remains, abides”).

Verb

fan (past dh'fhan, future fanaidh, verbal noun fantail or fantainn or fanachd)

1. stay, remain
2. wait

Synonyms

• feith
• fuirich

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfan/ [ˈfãn]
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: fan

Noun

fan m or f by sense (plural fans or fanes)

1. fan

   Synonyms: aficionado, admirador, entusiasta, fanático, hincha

Derived terms

Verb

fan

1. third-person plural present indicative of far

Further reading

• “fan”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Probably from Ewe ɸā́n (“clear, light”).

Ideophone

fan

1. Signifies whiteness

References

Swedish

Etymology 1

From Late Old Norse fendinn, perhaps from Old Frisian fandiand, present participle of fandia (“tempt”), from Proto-Germanic *fandōną (“seek, search for, examine”). Cognate with Danish fanden and Norwegian Bokmål faen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /faːn/, /ˈfaːˌa(ː)n/
• Rhymes: -aːn

Noun

fan c

1. the devil, Satan

2. (offensive, vulgar) a bastard, a motherfucker

   Synonym: jävel

Usage notes

Traditionally not capitalized.

References

• On capitalization, from TT

Interjection

fan

1. (swear word, sometimes followed by också or preceded by va or vad) damn (referring to the devil)

Adverb

fan (not comparable)

1. (swear word) A (positive or negative) intensifier.

Usage notes

• Closer to English fuck than damn in offensiveness.
• Often said with a doubly emphasized A for emphasis, like "fa-an."

Derived terms

See also

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English fan, short for fanatic, related to the Swedish words fanatisk and fanatiker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛːn/
• Rhymes: -ɛːn
• Homophone: fän

Noun

fan c or n

1. a fan (admirer)

Declension

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Low German fan, used since 1772, closely related to Swedish fana (“flag”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɑːn/
• Rhymes: -ɑːn

Noun

fan n

1. a vane, a web (part of the anatomy of a bird's feather)

Declension

References

• fan in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• fan in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• fan in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Fula Ordboken

Tboli

Noun

fan

1. bait

Uzbek

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَنّ (fann).

Noun

fan (plural fanlar)

1. science

Synonyms

• ilm

Vietnamese

Etymology

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [faːn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [faːŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [faːŋ˧˧]
• Phonetic spelling: phan

Noun

fan

1. fan (admirer, aficionado)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /van/
• Rhymes: -an

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English van.

Noun

fan f (plural faniau, not mutable)

1. van

Etymology 2

Noun

fan

1. Soft mutation of man.

Etymology 3

Noun

fan

1. Soft mutation of ban.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “fan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Mutation

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian fon, from Proto-Germanic *fanē.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔn/

Preposition

fan

1. from
2. of

Further reading

• “fan (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Yola

Alternative forms

• van, phen

Etymology

From Middle English wan, wen, from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannā.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fan/, /van/, /fɛn/

Adverb

fan

1. when

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 39