lean
I. lean1 (lēn)v. leaned, lean·ing, leansv. intr. 1. To bend or slant away from the vertical. 2. To incline the weight of the body so as to be supported: leaning against the railing. See Synonyms at slant. 3. To rely for assistance or support: Lean on me for help. 4. To have a tendency or preference: a government that leans toward fascism. 5. Informal. To exert pressure: The boss is leaning on us to meet the deadline.v. tr. 1. To set or place so as to be resting or supported. 2. To cause to incline.n. A tilt or an inclination away from the vertical. [Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian. See klei- in Indo-European Roots.] II. lean2 (lēn)adj. lean·er, lean·est 1. Not fleshy or fat; thin. 2. Containing little or no fat. 3. a. Not productive or prosperous; meager: lean years. b. Containing little excess or waste; spare: a lean budget. c. Thrifty in management; economical: “Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive” (Christian Science Monitor). 4. Metallurgy. Low in mineral contents: lean ore. a. Chemistry. Lacking in combustible material: lean fuel.n. Meat with little or no fat. [Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne.] leanʹly adv.leanʹness n. Synonyms: lean2, spare, skinny, scrawny, lank, lanky, rawboned, gaunt These adjectives mean lacking excess flesh. Lean emphasizes absence of fat: fattened the lean cattle for market. Spare sometimes suggests trimness and good muscle tone: “an old man, very tall and spare, with an ascetic aspect” (William H. Mallock). Skinny and scrawny imply unattractive thinness, as with undernourishment: The child has skinny legs with prominent knees. “He [had] a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar” (Winston Churchill). Lank describes one who is thin and tall, and lanky one who is thin, tall, and ungraceful: “He was... exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders” (Washington Irving). The boy had developed into a lanky adolescent. Rawboned suggests a thin, bony, gangling build: a rawboned cowhand. Gaunt implies boniness and a haggard appearance; it may suggest illness or hardship: a white-haired pioneer, her face gaunt from overwork.
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