Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lean
Lean
(lēn)
, Verb.
T.
[Icel.
leyna
; akin to G. läugnen
to deny, AS. lȳgnian
, also E. lie
to speak falsely.] To conceal.
[Obs.]
Ray.
Lean
(lēn)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Leaned
(lēnd)
, sometimes Leant
(lĕnt); p. pr. & vb. n.
Leaning
.] 1.
To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating;
“He leant forward.” as, she
leaned
out at the window; a leaning
column. Dickens.
2.
To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; – with
to
, toward
, etc. They delight rather to
lean
to their old customs. Spenser.
3.
To rest or rely, for support, comfort, and the like; – with
on
, upon
, or against
. He
leaned
not on his fathers but himself. Tennyson.
Lean
,Verb.
T.
To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest.
Mrs. Browning.
His fainting limbs against an oak he
leant
. Dryden.
Lean
(lēn)
, Adj.
[
Com
par.
Leaner
(lēn′ẽr)
; sup
erl.
Leanest
.] 1.
Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; slim; not plump; slender; meager; thin; lank;
as, a
lean
body; a lean
cattle.2.
Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; – used literally and figuratively;
“No lean wardrobe.” as, the
lean
harvest; a lean
purse; a lean
discourse; lean
wages. Shak.
Their
lean
and flashy songs. Milton.
What the land is, whether it be fat or
lean
. Num. xiii. 20.
Out of my
I’ll lend you something.
lean
and low abilityI’ll lend you something.
Shakespeare
3.
(Typog.)
Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; – opposed to
fat
; as,
. lean
copy, matter, or type
Syn. – slender; spare; thin; meager; lank; skinny; gaunt.
Lean
,Noun.
1.
That part of flesh which consists principally of muscle without the fat.
The fat was so white and the
lean
was so ruddy. Goldsmith.
2.
(Typog.)
Unremunerative copy or work.
Webster 1828 Edition
Lean
LEAN
,Verb.
I.
1.
To deviate or move from a straight or perpendicular line; or to be in a position thus deviating. We say, a column leans to the north or to the east; it leans to the right or left.2.
To incline or propend; to tend toward.They delight rather to lean to their old customs -
3.
To bend or incline so as to rest on something; as, to lean against a wall or a pillar; to lean on the arm of another.4.
To bend; to be in a bending posture.LEAN
, v.t.1.
To incline; to cause to lean.2.
To conceal. [Not in use.]LEAN
,Adj.
1.
Wanting flesh; meager; not fat; as a lean body; a lean man or animal.2.
Not rich; destitute of good qualities; bare; barren; as lean earth.3.
Low; poor; in opposition to rich or great; as a lean action. [Unusual.]4.
Barren of thought; destitute of that which improves or entertains; jejune; as a lean discourse or dissertation.LEAN
,Noun.
Definition 2024
lean
lean
See also: Léan
English
Verb
lean (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned or (UK) leant)
- To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
- a leaning column
- She leaned out of the window.
- To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; with to, toward, etc.
- I'm leaning towards voting Conservative in the next election.
- Edmund Spenser (c.1552–1599)
- They delight rather to lean to their old customs.
- To rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.; with on, upon, or against.
- Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
- He leaned not on his fathers but himself.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 23, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.
- Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
- To hang outwards.
- To press against.
- John Dryden (1631-1700)
- His fainting limbs against an oak he leant.
- John Dryden (1631-1700)
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to incline
to hang outwards
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to rest or rely upon for support
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to press against
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Noun
lean (plural leans)
- (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.
Synonyms
- (inclination away from vertical): tilt
Etymology 2
From Middle English lene (“lean”), from Old English hlǣne (“lean”), (cognate with Low German leen), perhaps from Old English hlǣnan (“to cause to lean", in the sense of "to cause to bend or 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”).
Adjective
lean (comparative leaner, superlative leanest)
- (of a person or animal) slim; not fleshy.
- (of meat) having little fat.
- Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
- a lean budget; a lean harvest
- Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
- A lean ore hardly worth mining.
- Running on too lean a fuel-air mixture will cause, among other problems, your internal combustion engine to heat up too much.
- (printing, archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
- lean copy, matter, or type
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:scrawny
- (Having a low proportion of a desired substance): deficient, dilute, poor
Antonyms
- (Having a low proportion of a desired substance): rich
Translations
being slim and muscular
|
|
of meat, having little fat
having little extra or little to spare
having a low proportion of a desired substance
Verb
lean (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned)
- To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
- 2002 July, Tom Benenson, “Can Your Engine Run Too Lean?”, in Flying, volume 129, number 7, ISSN 0015-4806, page 73:
- Even the Pilot's Operating Handbooks (POH) for our training airplanes add to our paranoia with their insistence that we not lean the mixture until we're above 5000 feet density altitude.
Etymology 3
From Icelandic leyna? Akin to German [Term?] (“deny”). Compare lie (“speak falsely”).
Verb
lean (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned)
- To conceal.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Ray to this entry?)
See also
References
- lean in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- lean in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Anagrams
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish lenaid (“stays, sticks (to), follows”), from Proto-Celtic *linā- (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ley- (“slimy”); compare Latin linō (“anoint”), līmus (“mud, slime”), Sanskrit लिनाति (lināti, “sticks, stays”).
Pronunciation
Verb
lean (present analytic leanann, future analytic leanfaidh, verbal noun leanúint, past participle leanta)
- to follow
Conjugation
First Conjugation (A)
| singular | plural | relative | autonomous | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||||
| indicative | present | leanaim | leanann tú; leanair† |
leanann sé, sí | leanaimid | leanann sibh | leanann siad; leanaid† |
a leanann; a leanas / a leanann*; a leanas* |
leantar |
| past | lean mé; leanas | lean tú; leanais | lean sé, sí | leanamar; lean muid | lean sibh; leanabhair | lean siad; leanadar | a lean / ar lean* |
leanadh | |
| past habitual | leanainn | leantá | leanadh sé, sí | leanaimis; leanadh muid | leanadh sibh | leanaidís; leanadh siad | a leanadh / ar leanadh* |
leantaí | |
| future | leanfaidh mé; leanfad |
leanfaidh tú; leanfair† |
leanfaidh sé, sí | leanfaimid; leanfaidh muid |
leanfaidh sibh | leanfaidh siad; leanfaid† |
a leanfaidh; a leanfas / a leanfaidh*; a leanfas* |
leanfar | |
| conditional | leanfainn | leanfá | leanfadh sé, sí | leanfaimis; leanfadh muid | leanfadh sibh | leanfaidís; leanfadh siad | a leanfadh / ar leanfadh* |
leanfaí | |
| subjunctive | present | go leana mé; go leanad† |
go leana tú; go leanair† |
go leana sé, sí | go leanaimid; go leana muid |
go leana sibh | go leana siad; go leanaid† |
— | go leantar |
| past | dá leanainn | dá leantá | dá leanadh sé, sí | dá leanaimis; dá leanadh muid |
dá leanadh sibh | dá leanaidís; dá leanadh siad |
— | dá leantaí | |
| imperative | leanaim | lean | leanadh sé, sí | leanaimis | leanaigí; leanaidh† |
leanaidís | — | leantar | |
| verbal noun | leanúint | ||||||||
| past participle | leanta | ||||||||
* Indirect relative
† Dialect form
- Alternative verbal noun: leanacht (Cois Fharraige)
Derived terms
Northern Sami
Verb
lean
- inflection of leat:
- first-person singular present indicative
- past indicative connegative
Old English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Proto-Germanic *launą, from a suffixed form of Proto-Indo-European *leh₂u- (“catch, plunder, profit”). Cognate with Old Frisian lān, Old Saxon lōn, Dutch loon, Old High German lōn (German Lohn), Old Norse laun (Swedish lön), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌽 (láun). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek λεία (leía) (from *λαϝία), Latin lucrum, Old Church Slavonic ловъ (lovŭ) (Russian лов (lov)), Old Irish lóg, Lithuanian lãvinti.
Noun
lēan n
Declension
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Related terms
- lēanian
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *lahaną. Cognate with Old Saxon lahan, Old High German lahan, Old Norse lá, Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (laian).
Verb
lēan
Conjugation
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
(third-person singular preterite lōg, third-person plural preterite lōgon)
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
From Old Irish lenaid (“stays, sticks (to), follows”), from Proto-Celtic *linā- (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lei- (“slimy”); compare Latin linō (“anoint”), Sanskrit लिनाति (lināti, “sticks, stays”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ʎɛn]
Verb
lean (past lean, future leanaidh, verbal noun leantainn or leanmhainn, past participle leanta)
Derived terms
Terms derived from lean
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