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.
Meanings
(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.
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.
Meanings
(intransitive) 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.
In Pisa, where [Galileo] was born, I climbed the worn steps of the tower that has been leaning southward almost from the day it was built in the 13th century. 1989 May, John Boslough, “Searching for the Secrets of Gravity”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 567:
(copulative) To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
But you ſay they do not accept of them, but delight rather to lean to their old Cuſtoms and Brehon Laws, though they be more unjuſt and alſo more inconvenient for the common People, as by your late Relation of them I have gathered. a. 1600, Edmund Spenser, “A View of the State of Ireland. […]”, in The Works of Mr. Edmund Spenser, volume VI, London: Jacob Tonson […], published 1715, →OCLC, page 1518:
I’m leaning towards voting Conservative in the next election.
The Hispanic vote leans Democratic.
(qualifier:Followed by against; on; or upon; Followed by against; on; or upon) To rest or rely, for support, comfort, to use as a hard surface for writing, etc.
He lean'd not on his fathers but himself. 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Aylmer’s Field”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 54:
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. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 374–375:
To hang outwards.
To press against.
Oppreſs'd with Anguiſh, panting, and o'reſpent, / His fainting Limbs against an Oak he leant. 1697, Virgil, “The Tenth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 533, lines 1187–1188:
wuu 隑 /𬮿 (to rest or rely upon for support) · pl opierać się (to rest or rely upon for support) · cs opřít (to press against) · es apoyarse (to rest or rely upon for support) · hy հենվել (to press against) · tr dayanmak (to hang outwards) · ta அழுத்து (to press against) · mi whakahirihiri (to rest or rely upon for support) · gl inclinar (to incline) · ru опере́ться (to rest or rely upon for support) · fr s'appuyer (to rest or rely upon for support) · ko 의지하다 (to rest or rely upon for support) · fi nojata (to press against) · it reclinare (to press against) · cmn 傾斜 /倾斜 (to incline) · eo apogi (to rest or rely upon for support) · uk притуля́тися (to press against) · ru наклони́ться (to hang outwards) · it appoggiare (to press against) · nn bikke (to press against) · hu dől (to press against) · sv luta (to incline) · xdq чибилса́на (to press against) · pl nachylić się (to incline) · es arrimar (to press against) · hy հենվել (to rest or rely upon for support) · pl oprzeć się (to press against) · fi olla kallellaan (to incline) · pl pochylać się (to incline) · ro rezema (to hang outwards) · pl pochylić się (to incline) · pt apoiar-se (to rest or rely upon for support) · nb lene (to hang outwards) · cmn 隑 /𬮿 (to rest or rely upon for support) · nl leunen (to hang outwards) · hu dől (to incline) · ar اِسْتَنَدَ (to rest or rely upon for support) · sv luta sig mot (to rest or rely upon for support) · pl oprzeć się (to rest or rely upon for support) · ro ține (to press against) · es inclinarse (to incline) · it sporgersi (to hang outwards) · es apoyarse (to press against) · ta சாய் (to incline) · ar مَالَ (to incline) · lut ʔili (to rest or rely upon for support) · ro înclina (to incline) · mi whirinaki (to incline) · uk спира́тися (to press against) · fr pencher (to incline) · ko 기울다 (to incline) · hy հակվել (to hang outwards) · uk тули́тися (to press against) · nl aanleunen (to press against) · grc κλίνομαι (to incline) · bg навеждам (to incline) · eo klini (to incline) · fi kallistaa (to hang outwards) · ro inclina (to hang outwards) · bg подпирам се (to rest or rely upon for support) · hu támaszkodik (to press against) · sa श्रयति (to rest or rely upon for support) · uk схиля́тися (to hang outwards) · ckb پاڵدانەوە (to press against) · ja 靠れる (to rest or rely upon for support) · pl nachylać się (to incline) · yue 挨 (to rest or rely upon for support) · pt apoiar-se (to press against) · es debruzarse (to incline) · de lehnen (to press against) · az söykənmək (to rest or rely upon for support) · ota اكمك (to incline) · fi olla vinossa (to incline) · fi nojata (to rest or rely upon for support) · de anlehnen (to press against) · ko 기대다 (to rest or rely upon for support) · fi kallistua (to hang outwards) · es reclinar (to press against) · es declinarse (to hang outwards) · uk опира́тися (to press against) · sv luta (to hang outwards) · uk нахиля́тися (to hang outwards) · mrw sanday (to incline) · ru наклоня́ться (to incline) · nmn ǃgàa (to press against) · pt inclinar (to incline) · ar اِتَّكَأَ (to rest or rely upon for support) · de sich lehnen (to incline) · sl nasloniti se (to press against) · ta சாய் (to rest or rely upon for support) · ta சாய் (to hang outwards) · ca recolsar-se (to press against) · ca arrambar-se (to press against) · ru опира́ться (to rest or rely upon for support) · pt reclinar-se (to hang outwards) · nl leunen (to press against) · sv luta sig (to hang outwards) · fa لمیدن (to press against) · cmn 倚 (to press against) · zza azıkyen (to hang outwards) · nb lene (to press against) · mi pahiwi (to rest or rely upon for support) · msk sanday (to incline) · nn lene (to hang outwards) · ru наклони́ться (to incline) · zza azıkyayen (to rest or rely upon for support) · as কাতি হোৱা (to incline) · ru опира́ться (to press against) · cmn 倚 (to rest or rely upon for support) · mi hirinaki (to incline) · pl skłonić się (to incline) · it adagiarsi (to press against) · as ঢলা (to incline) · fr se presser (to press against) · eo alkliniĝi (to incline) · it adagiare (to press against) · tr yaslanmak (to hang outwards) · ca repenjar-se (to press against) · ja もたれる (to press against) · bg опирам се (to press against) · it appoggiarsi (to rest or rely upon for support) · xdq чибирха́ра (to rest or rely upon for support) · cmn 倚著 /倚着 (to press against) · de lehnen (to hang outwards) · ja 傾く (to hang outwards) · pl skłaniać się (to incline) · ta சாய் (to press against) · la nītor (to rest or rely upon for support) · fr se pencher (to hang outwards) · pt escorar-se (to rest or rely upon for support) · cmn 倚靠 (to rest or rely upon for support) · sv luta (to press against) · it pendere (to incline) · fi nojautua (to press against) · sl viseti (to hang outwards) · ca abocar (to hang outwards) · az söykənmək (to press against) · ca inclinar (to incline) · mi whakawhirinaki (to rest or rely upon for support) · mi wharara (to incline) · ru наклоня́ться (to hang outwards) · es propender (to incline) · ru прислоня́ться (to press against) · as হলা (to incline) · mi taiuru (to incline) · as আঁউজা (to incline) · id menyandarkan (to hang outwards) · ca recolzar (to rest or rely upon for support) · ja 傾ける (to incline) · pl opierać się (to press against) · es debruzar (to incline)
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”).
Meanings
(of a person or animal) Slim; not fleshy.
They will now dedicate several hours at the gym every day to be leaner and stronger. 2024 May 1, ZacharyFurr, “Gym types”, in The In Constant Chronicles:
(of meat) Having little fat.
lean steak cuts
The butcher and the porkman painted up only the leanest scrags of meat; the baker, the coarsest of meagre loaves. 2007, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, Penguin, →ISBN, page 34:
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.
Running on too lean a fuel-air mixture will cause, among other problems, your internal combustion engine to heat up too much.
A lean ore hardly worth mining.
(archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
lean copy, matter, or type
Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
Alcoa is now a lean and agile enterprise, after having split last year into two entities.
lean management
lean manufacturing
Kitting for in-plant handling is unlean. Kitting for transport, on the other hand, is lean; for example, shipping complete sets of parts to make a TV or motorcycle or motor home is lean. 2007, Richard J. Schonberger, Best Practices in Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement, page 204:
nl mager (being slim, not fleshy) · it magro (having little extra or little to spare) · it magro (being slim, not fleshy) · bg мършав (being slim, not fleshy) · pt magro (of meat, having little fat) · tr kıt (having little extra or little to spare) · chr ᎤᎴᏐᏓ (being slim, not fleshy) · es momio (being slim, not fleshy) · oc prim (being slim, not fleshy) · lv liess (of meat, having little fat) · es estrecho (having little extra or little to spare) · fi hoikka (being slim, not fleshy) · zza bari (diq) (being slim, not fleshy) · ru скро́мный (having little extra or little to spare) · bho छरहरा (being slim, not fleshy) · kea magru (being slim, not fleshy) · nl tenger (being slim, not fleshy) · de mager (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · ru ску́дный (having little extra or little to spare) · sv mager (being slim, not fleshy) · cmn 精瘦 (being slim, not fleshy) · ru сухоща́вый (being slim, not fleshy) · tr az yağlı (of meat, having little fat) · wa maigue (of meat, having little fat) · de knapp (having little extra or little to spare) · it sodo (being slim, not fleshy) · es magro (being slim, not fleshy) · pdt denn (being slim, not fleshy) · hi छरहरा (being slim, not fleshy) · uz ozg'in (being slim, not fleshy) · es pobre (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · es magro (of meat, having little fat) · hi ढुबला (being slim, not fleshy) · gl magra (being slim, not fleshy) · mi hīoi (being slim, not fleshy) · fi niukka (having little extra or little to spare) · de mager (being slim, not fleshy) · la macer (being slim, not fleshy) · it asciutto (being slim, not fleshy) · cmn 精益 (business: efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down) · mi kōhoi (being slim, not fleshy) · arz نحيف (being slim, not fleshy) · kea mógre (being slim, not fleshy) · it magro (of meat, having little fat) · zza qor sg or (being slim, not fleshy) · ro subțire (being slim, not fleshy) · ru обеднённый (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · de schlank (being slim, not fleshy) · ca magre (of meat, having little fat) · gl delgada (being slim, not fleshy) · it magra (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · es momio (of meat, having little fat) · ro slab macru (of meat, having little fat) · nl karig (having little extra or little to spare) · mi hīroki (being slim, not fleshy) · it scarso (having little extra or little to spare) · ru бе́дный (having little extra or little to spare) · gl magro (being slim, not fleshy) · fi vähärasvainen (of meat, having little fat) · ba ябыҡ (being slim, not fleshy) · ltg koldons (being slim, not fleshy) · es sobreoxigenado (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · ca magre (having little extra or little to spare) · mi hōkaka (being slim, not fleshy) · it slanciato (being slim, not fleshy) · mi tūpuhi (of meat, having little fat) · bg беден (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · es delgado (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · bho ढुबला (being slim, not fleshy) · no slank (being slim, not fleshy) · zza barı (diq) (being slim, not fleshy) · de mager (of meat, having little fat) · ba ябыҡ (of meat, having little fat) · zza bêruwen (of meat, having little fat) · mi pākokekoke (being slim, not fleshy) · ro slab (being slim, not fleshy) · fi laimea (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · oc estrech (having little extra or little to spare) · grc ἰσχνός (being slim, not fleshy) · oc magre (having little extra or little to spare) · fr mince (being slim, not fleshy) · no mager (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · tr ince (being slim, not fleshy) · fr serré (having little extra or little to spare) · kw kogh (of meat, having little fat) · nl mager (of meat, having little fat) · mi hinuiti (of meat, having little fat) · ru поджа́рый (being slim, not fleshy) · oc magre (of meat, having little fat) · ru то́щий (being slim, not fleshy) · oc linge (being slim, not fleshy) · zza tayn (having little extra or little to spare) · mi whīroki (being slim, not fleshy) · bg крехък (of meat, having little fat) · nl slank (being slim, not fleshy) · de dürr (being slim, not fleshy) · fi heikko (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · uk худи́й (being slim, not fleshy) · gl magro (of meat, having little fat) · fr maigre (of meat, having little fat) · bg слаб (being slim, not fleshy) · uz kambag'al (having little extra or little to spare) · ta ஒல்லி (being slim, not fleshy) · fi vähäinen (having little extra or little to spare) · la macer (of meat, having little fat) · tr yağsız (of meat, having little fat) · ug ئەتسىز (being slim, not fleshy) · ba һум (of meat, having little fat) · ug گۆشسىز (being slim, not fleshy) · no mager (of meat, having little fat) · sv mager (of meat, having little fat) · ltg kūds (being slim, not fleshy) · ltg poss (of meat, having little fat) · cmn 瘦 (being slim, not fleshy) · lv kalsns (being slim, not fleshy) · fi laiha (being slim, not fleshy) · it ricca (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · ru по́стный (of meat, having little fat) · fr pauvre (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · gl delgado (being slim, not fleshy) · fi laiha (having a low proportion of a desired substance) · tr zayıf (being slim, not fleshy) · es ajustado (having little extra or little to spare) · wa maigue (being slim, not fleshy) · ca magre (being slim, not fleshy) · ru худо́й (being slim, not fleshy) · mi tipiwai (of meat, having little fat) · pt esbelto (being slim, not fleshy) · sv smal (being slim, not fleshy)
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”).
Meanings
(uncountable) Meat with no fat on it.
Jack Sprat would eat no fat, / His wife would eat no lean. 1639, or earlier, Anon: Jack Sprat:
(countable) An organism that is lean in stature.
The intermediates and leans are the predominant morphotypes found at the SE-NHR seamounts […] 1986, Southwest Fisheries Center (U.S.), Collected Reprints (issue 1)
Obese Zuckers, compared to leans, consumed more food under free-feeding conditions. 2012, Obesity: New Insights for the Healthcare Professional, page 56:
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”).
Meanings
To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
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. 2002 July, Tom Benenson, “Can Your Engine Run Too Lean?”, in Flying, volume 129, number 7, →ISSN, page 73:
He leaned the mixture in an effort to cause a backfire through the carburetor, the generally accepted method of breaking the ice loose. 1938 July, Harold Blaine Miller, Dupont Miller, “Weather Hop”, in Boys' Life, Boy Scouts of America, →ISSN, page 25:
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”).
Meanings
(US, slang, uncountable) 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.
Eyes real tight 'cause I'm chokin' the creep; vision messed up 'cause I'm drinkin' the lean. 2005, “Stay Fly”, in Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), Most Known Unknown, performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG), Sony BMG:
"What's in the cup, let me see that / Girl, where the rest of that promethazine at?" / She said, "Cool, gotta run out to my Cadillac though / And I'll be like Fat Joe, and bring the lean back" 2020, “Those Kinda Nights”, in Music to Be Murdered By, performed by Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran: