lean
/ˈliːn/ verb, noun, adjective, proper noun
Also a form of lain
Forms leans leaning leaned leant leaner leanest
- verb (intransitive) To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating. “a leaning column”
- verb (copulative) To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc. “I’m leaning towards voting Conservative in the next election.”
- verb (Followed by against, on, or upon) To rest or rely, for support, comfort, to use as a hard surface for writing, etc.
- verb To hang outwards.
- verb To press against.
- noun (of an object taller than its width and depth) An inclination away from the vertical. “The trees had various leans toward gaps in the canopy.”
- adjective (of a person or animal) Slim; not fleshy.
- adjective (of meat) Having little fat. “lean steak cuts”
- adjective Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre. “a lean budget”
- adjective Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient. “A lean ore hardly worth mining.”
- adjective (printing, archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat. “lean copy, matter, or type”
- adjective (business) Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing". “lean management”
- noun (uncountable) Meat with no fat on it.
- noun (countable, biology) An organism that is lean in stature.
- verb To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
- noun (US slang) A recreational drug composed of codeine-promethazine cough syrup mixed with usually soda and associated with the hip-hop culture of the Southern United States.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
tilt lithe svelte willowy gaunt gracile lank leansome lithesome lissome rangy sleek slender slight slim slinky swack sylphlike insufficient scarce list inclination leaning tip slant angle tend be given incline run
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English lenen (“to lean”), from Old English hleonian, hlinian (“to lean, recline, lie down, rest”), from Proto-West Germanic *hlinēn, from Proto-Germanic *hlināną (“to lean, incline”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-.
Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Middle Dutch leunen (“to lean”), German lehnen (“to lean”); via Proto-Indo-European with climate, cline.
From Middle English lene (“lean”), from Old English hlǣne (“lean”), (cognate with Low German leen), perhaps from hlǣnan (“to cause to lean (due to hunger or lack of food)”), from Proto-Germanic *hlainijaną (“to cause to lean”). If so, then related to Old English hlinian, hleonian (“to lean”).
Compare Old Norse linr (“mild; soft, limp; weak”), Old High German len (“mild”).
Probably from the verb to lean (see Etymology 1 above), supposedly because consumption of the intoxicating beverage causes one to lean or sway. Alternatively, from a clipping of gasoline (“an alcoholic beverage made of vodka and energy drink”).
* As a Scottish Gaelic surname, reduced form of McLean.
* As an English surname, from the adjective lean.
* As a Chinese surname, from 林 (lín) (see Lin).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To conceal. [Obs.] Ray.
- verb To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column. "He leant forward." Dickens.
- verb To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; --with to, toward, etc. They delight rather to lean to their old customs. Spenser.
- verb To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest. Mrs.
Etymology [Icel. leyna; akin to G. läugnen to deny, AS. l, also E. lie to speak falsely.]
Etymology [OE. lenen, AS. hlinian, hleonian, v. i.; akin to OS. hlinon, D. leunen, OHG. hlinen, linen, G. lehnen, L. inclinare, Gr. clivus hill, slope. sq. root40. Cf. Declivity, Climax, Incline, Ladder.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lean”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details