Etymology 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.
1
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.
2
To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
I’m leaning towards voting Conservative in the next election.
The Hispanic vote leans Democratic.
1 more example
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:
3
To rest or rely, for support, comfort, to use as a hard surface for writing, etc.
Followed by against; on; or upon; Followed by against; on; or upon
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:
4
To hang outwards.
5
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:
Etymology 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.
1
An inclination away from the vertical.
Of an object taller than its width and depth
The trees had various leans toward gaps in the canopy.
Etymology 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”).
1
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:
2
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:
3
Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
a lean budget
a lean harvest
4
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.
5
Media, Printing, PublishingArchaic Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
lean copy, matter, or type
6
Business Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
lean management
lean manufacturing
2 more examples
Alcoa is now a lean and agile enterprise, after having split last year into two entities.
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:
Etymology 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”).
1
Meat with no fat on it.
Jack Sprat would eat no fat, / His wife would eat no lean.1639, or earlier, Anon: Jack Sprat:
2
Biology, Natural sciences 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:
lean
verb
Etymology 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”).
1
To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
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:
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:
lean
noun
Etymology 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”).
1
US, Slang 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: