Main Entry: vane

Pronunciation: \ˈvān\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English (southern dial.), from Old English fana banner; akin to Old High German fano cloth, Latin pannus cloth, rag

Date: 14th century

1 a : a movable device attached to an elevated object (as a spire) for showing the direction of the wind b : one that is changeable or inconstant
2 : a thin flat or curved object that is rotated about an axis by a flow of fluid or that rotates to cause a fluid to flow or that redirects a flow of fluid <the vanes of a windmill>
3 : the web or flat expanded part of a feather — see feather illustration
4 : a feather fastened to the shaft near the nock of an arrow

— vaned \ˈvānd\ adjective