Vane

name, noun

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A weather vane.
  2. 2
    the flattened weblike part of a feather consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft wordnet
  3. 3
    Any of several usually relatively thin, rigid, flat, or sometimes curved surfaces radially mounted along an axis, as a blade in a turbine or a sail on a windmill, that is turned by or used to turn a fluid.
  4. 4
    flat surface that rotates and pushes against air or water wordnet
  5. 5
    The flattened, web-like part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a fin attached to the tail of an arrow, bomb or missile in order to stabilize or guide it wordnet
  2. 7
    A sight on a sextant or compass.
  3. 8
    mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind wordnet
  4. 9
    One of the metal guidance or stabilizing fins attached to the tail of a bomb or other missile.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English vane, Southern Middle English variant of fane, from Old English fana (“cloth, banner, flag”), from Proto-West Germanic *fanō, from Proto-Germanic *fanô, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂n- (“something woven; weave; tissue; fabric; cloth”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foone (“flag, banner”), Dutch vaan (“banner, flag”), German Low German Fahn (“flag”), German Fahne. Doublet of obsolete fane (“weathercock; banner”) and fanon.

Etymology 2

Variant of Fayne.

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