lean 1
(lēn)v. leaned, lean·ing, leans
v.intr.1. To bend or slant away from the vertical.
2. To incline the weight of the body so as to be supported:
leaning against the doorpost. See Synonyms at
slant.
3. To rely for assistance or support: Lean on me for help.
4. To have a tendency or preference: a government that leans toward fascism.
5. Informal To exert pressure: The boss is leaning on us to meet the deadline.
v.tr.1. To set or place so as to be resting or supported: leaned the ladder against the wall.
2. To cause to incline: leaned the boards so the rain would run off.
n. A tilt or an inclination away from the vertical.
lean 2
(lēn)adj. lean·er,
lean·est 1. a. Not fleshy or fat; thin.
b. Containing little fat or less fat relative to a standard: lean hamburger.
2. a. Not productive or prosperous; meager: lean years.
b. Containing little excess or waste; spare: a lean budget.
c. Thrifty in management, especially by employing just enough people to accomplish a task or do business: "Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive" (Christian Science Monitor).
3. a. Metallurgy Low in mineral contents: lean ore.
b. Chemistry Lacking in combustible material: lean fuel.
n. Meat with little or no fat.
[Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne.]
lean′ly adv.
lean′ness n.
Synonyms: lean2, skinny, scrawny, lank, lanky, gaunt These adjectives mean lacking excess flesh.
Lean emphasizes absence of fat but usually suggests good health:
The farmer fattened the lean cattle for market. Skinny and
scrawny imply unattractive thinness, as from undernourishment:
"His face and belly were so round, and his arms so skinny, that he looked like a dough ball with four sticks stuck into it" (John Green).
"He [had] a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar" (Winston Churchill).
Lank describes one who is thin and tall, and
lanky one who is thin, tall, and ungraceful:
"He was ... exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders" (Washington Irving).
The boy had developed into a lanky adolescent. Gaunt implies boniness and a haggard appearance; it may suggest illness or hardship:
a white-haired pioneer, her face gaunt from overwork. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lean
(liːn) vb,
leans,
leaning,
leaned or leant1. (foll by: against, on, or upon) to rest or cause to rest against a support
2. to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
3. (intr; foll by to or towards) to have or express a tendency or leaning
4. lean over backwards informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
nthe condition of inclining from a vertical position
[Old English hleonian, hlinian; related to Old High German hlinēn, Latin clīnāre to incline]
lean
(liːn) adj1. (esp of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
2. not bulky or full
3. (of meat) having little or no fat
4. not rich, abundant, or satisfying
5. (Automotive Engineering) (of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air: a lean mixture.
6. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (of printer's type) having a thin appearance
7. (of a paint) containing relatively little oil
8. (Mining & Quarrying) (of an ore) not having a high mineral content
9. (Civil Engineering) (of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
n (Cookery) the part of meat that contains little or no fat
[Old English hlǣne, of Germanic origin]
ˈleanly adv
ˈleanness n
Lean
(liːn) n (Biography) Sir David. 1908–91, English film director. His films include In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
lean1
(lin)
v. leaned (esp. Brit.) leant, lean•ing, v.i. 1. to incline or bend from a vertical position: to lean out the window.
2. to incline, as in a particular direction; slant: The post leans to the left.
3. to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc.: to lean toward socialism.
4. to rest or lie for support: to lean against a wall.
5. to depend or rely (usu. fol. by on or upon): someone to lean on in an emergency.
v.t. 6. to incline or bend: He leaned his head forward.
7. to cause to lean or rest; prop: to lean a chair against a railing.
8. lean on, Informal. to pressure or threaten.
n. 9. the act or state of leaning; inclination.
[before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian, c. Old Saxon hlinōn, Old High German (h)linēn]
lean2
(lin)
adj. , -er, -est,
n. adj. 1. (of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; thin: lean cattle.
2. (of meat) containing little or no fat.
3. lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.: a lean diet; lean years.
4. spare; economical.
5. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively low ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with
rich).
7. (of ore) having a low mineral content.
n. 8. the part of flesh that consists of muscle rather than fat.
9. the lean part of anything.
[before 1000; Middle English lene, Old English hlǣne]
lean′ly, adv.
lean′ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.