Verb (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned or leant (especially British))
- 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.
- To rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.; with on, upon, or against.
- To hang outwards.
- To press against.
Origin From Middle English lenen (“to lean"), from Old English hleonian, hlinian (“to lean, recline, lie down, rest"), from Proto-Germanic *hlinÅnÄ… (“to lean, incline"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-. Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Middle Dutch lenen (“to lean"), German lehnen (“to lean"); via Proto-Indo-European with climate, cline.
Adjective (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
- Of a fuel-air mixture, having more air than is necessary to burn all of the fuel; more air- or oxygen- rich than necessary for a stoichiometric reaction.
- (printing, archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
- lean copy, matter, or type
Verb (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.
Origin From Middle English lene (“lean"), from Old English hlÇ£ne (“lean"), perhaps from Old English hlÇ£nan (“to cause to lean", in the sense of "to cause to bend or lean due to hunger or lack of food"), from Proto-Germanic *hlainijanÄ… (“to cause to lean"). If so, then related to Old English hlinian, hleonian (“to lean").
Verb (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned)
- To conceal.
Origin Icelandic leyna?; akin to German word for "deny". Compare lie (“speak falsely").
