Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fan palm \Fan" palm`\ (Bot.)
   Any palm tree having fan-shaped or radiate leaves; as the
   {Cham[ae]rops humilis} of Southern Europe; the species of
   {Sabal} and {Thrinax} in the West Indies, Florida, etc.; and
   especially the great talipot tree ({Corypha umbraculifera})
   of Ceylon and Malaya. The leaves of the latter are often
   eighteen feet long and fourteen wide, and are used for
   umbrellas, tents, and roofs. When cut up, they are used for
   books and manuscripts.