English Explanatory Dictionary

lean

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
  2. To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
  3. To rest or rely, for support, comfort, to use as a hard surface for writing, etc.
  4. To hang outwards.
  5. To press against.
noun
  1. An inclination away from the vertical.
adj
  1. Slim; not fleshy.
  2. Having little fat.
  3. Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
  4. Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
  5. Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
  6. Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
noun
  1. Meat with no fat on it.
  2. An organism that is lean in stature.
verb
  1. To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
noun
  1. 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.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈliːn/ [ˈlɪi̯n] ~ [ˈlɪ̈i̯n] en-us-lean.ogg

Word forms

lean leans leaning leaned leant leaner leanest

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.

Synonyms

tilt lithe svelte willowy gaunt gracile lank lean leansome lithesome lissome rangy sleek slender slight slim slinky swack sylphlike insufficient scarce sparse awanting deficient dismal exiguous geason inadequate lousy meager measly paltry poor raunchy scant scantling scanty skimpy sleazy spare threadbare unsatisfactory unsufficient wanting wanty dilute derich disenrich blood mud purple drank sizzurp snot syrup

Antonyms

rich enrich

Related words

climate cline Maclean Mac Lean Malean McLean Mc Lean M'Lean

Derived words

forward-leaning forward leaning lean back lean-back leaner lean in leaning leaning board leaning toothpick syndrome leaning tower illusion lean into lean on lean over backwards lean-to lean towards outlean overlean uplean antigravity lean anti-gravity lean gangsta lean gangster lean boneless lean beef trimmings lean and mean lean-burn lean client lean finely textured beef leanish leanly leanness lean nitrogen oxide trap leansome lean thinking lean-witted leany superlean ultralean unlean fenty lean
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