Word Direct Answers

What does "lean" mean?

Lean: To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column. "He leant forward." Dickens.

Additional senses

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 4.To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest. Mrs. Browning. His fainting limbs against an oak he leant. Dryden.
  4. 5.Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; not plump; meager; thin; lank; as, a lean body; a lean cattle.
  5. 6.Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; -- used literally and figuratively; as, the lean harvest; a lean purse; a lean discourse; lean wages. "No lean wardrobe." Shak. Their lean and fiashy songs. Milton. What the land is, whether it be fat or lean. Num. xiii.
  6. 7.Out of my lean and low ability I'll lend you something. Shak.
  7. 8.(Typog.) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; -- opposed to fat; as lean copy, matter, or type.
  8. 9.That part of flesh which consist principally of muscle without the fat. The fat was so white and the lean was so ruddy. Goldsmith.
  9. 10.(Typog.) Unremunerative copy or work.

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