lean
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
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.
Verb
lean (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned or (UK) leant)
- 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.
- (copulative) 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Followed by against, on, or upon: to rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.
- 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Aylmer’s Field”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 54:
- He lean'd not on his fathers but himself.
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 374–375:
- 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.
- To hang outwards.
- To press against.
- 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:
- Oppreſs'd with Anguiſh, panting, and o'reſpent, / His fainting Limbs against an Oak he leant.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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Noun
lean (plural leans)
- (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.
Synonyms
- (inclination away from vertical): tilt
Etymology 2
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”).
Adjective
lean (comparative leaner, superlative leanest)
- (of a person or animal) Slim; not fleshy.
- Synonyms: lithe, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender
- (of meat) Having little fat.
- lean steak cuts
- Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
- Synonyms: insufficient, scarce, sparse; see also Thesaurus:inadequate
- a lean budget
- a lean harvest
- Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
- (printing, archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
- lean copy, matter, or type
- (business) Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
- lean management
- lean manufacturing
- Alcoa is now a lean and agile enterprise, after having split last year into two entities.
Derived terms
Translations
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Noun
lean (countable and uncountable, plural leans)
- (uncountable) Meat with no fat on it.
- 1639 or earlier, Anon, Jack Sprat
- Jack Sprat would eat no fat, / His wife would eat no lean.
- 1639 or earlier, Anon, Jack Sprat
- (countable, biology) An organism that is lean in stature.
- 1986, Southwest Fisheries Center (U.S.), Collected Reprints (issue 1)
- The intermediates and leans are the predominant morphotypes found at the SE-NHR seamounts […]
- 2012, Obesity: New Insights for the Healthcare Professional (page 56)
- Obese Zuckers, compared to leans, consumed more food under free-feeding conditions.
- 1986, Southwest Fisheries Center (U.S.), Collected Reprints (issue 1)
Verb
lean (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.
- 1938 July, Blaine and Dupont Miller, “Weather Hop”, in Boys' Life[1], Boy Scouts of America, →ISSN, page 25:
- He leaned the mixture in an effort to cause a backfire through the carburetor, the generally accepted method of breaking the ice loose.
Etymology 3
From Icelandic leyna? Akin to German leugnen (“deny”). Compare lie (“speak falsely”).
Verb
lean (third-person singular simple present leans, present participle leaning, simple past and past participle leaned)
References
Etymology 4
Probably from the verb to lean (see etymology 1 above), supposedly because consumption of the intoxicating beverage causes one to "lean". Alternatively, possibly short for gasoline (“an alcoholic beverage made of vodka and energy drink”).
Noun
lean (uncountable)
- (slang, US) A recreational drug based on codeine-laced promethazine cough syrup, popular in the hip hop community in the southeastern United States.
- Synonyms: sizzurp, syrup, purple drank
- 2005, “Stay Fly”, in Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, and Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), Most Known Unknown[3], performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG), Sony BMG:
- Eyes real tight 'cause I'm chokin' the creep; vision messed up 'cause I'm drinkin' the lean.
- 2020, “Those Kinda Nights”, in Music to Be Murdered By, performed by Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran:
- "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"
See also
References
- “lean”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “lean”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Galician
Verb
lean
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish lenaid (“stays, sticks (to), follows”), from Proto-Celtic *linati (“to stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH- (“to smear”); compare Latin linō (“anoint”), līmus (“mud, slime”), Sanskrit लिनाति (lināti, “sticks, stays”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Munster" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /lʲan̪ˠ/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Connacht" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /l̠ʲanˠ/, /l̠ʲan̪ˠ/
Verb
lean (present analytic leanann, future analytic leanfaidh, verbal noun leanúint, past participle leanta)
- (transitive, intransitive) to follow
- to continue
- Leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh.
- I will continue on.
- to remain
- to endure
Conjugation
* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
- Alternative verbal noun: leanacht (Cois Fharraige)
Derived terms
Further reading
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “lean”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “lenaid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Northern Sami
Pronunciation
Verb
lean
- inflection of leat:
Old English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Proto-West Germanic *laun.
Noun
lēan n
Declension
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Proto-West Germanic *lahan. Cognate with Old Saxon lahan, Old High German lahan, Old Norse lá, Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (laian).
Verb
lēan
- (transitive) to blame, fault, reproach
Conjugation
infinitive | lēan | lēanne |
---|---|---|
indicative mood | present tense | past tense |
first person singular | lēa | lōg, lōh |
second person singular | liehst | lōge |
third person singular | liehþ | lōg, lōh |
plural | lēaþ | lōgon |
subjunctive | present tense | past tense |
singular | lēa | lōge |
plural | lēan | lōgen |
imperative | ||
singular | leah | |
plural | lēaþ | |
participle | present | past |
lēande | (ġe)læġen, (ġe)lagen, (ġe)leġen |
Descendants
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
From Old Irish lenaid (“stays, sticks (to), follows”), from Proto-Celtic *linati (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH- (“to smear”); compare Latin linō (“anoint”), Sanskrit लिनाति (lināti, “sticks, stays”).
Pronunciation
Verb
lean (past lean, future leanaidh, verbal noun leantainn or leanmhainn, past participle leanta)
Derived terms
- fo-leantach (“subjunctive”)
- lean air (“continue”)
- ainlean (“persecute”)
Spanish
Verb
lean
- inflection of leer:
West Frisian
Etymology
From Old Frisian lān, from Proto-West Germanic *laun. Cognate with Old English lēan.
Noun
lean n (plural leanen, diminutive leantsje)
Further reading
- “lean”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
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