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DictionaryfanOutward spreading
verb

fan

To spread outward from a common point.

The searchers fan out across the field.

Etymology
fanLatinwinnowing fan

The action is named after the shape of an opened fan. Things fan out when they spread from a shared narrow origin into a broader arrangement.

More examples

  • She fanned the cards in her hand.
  • The paths fanned outward from the square.
  • They have fanned the papers across the table.

Forms

fan · fans · fanned · fanning

Similar words

spread
The broader action of extending over an area.
radiate
Moves outward from a central point in several directions.