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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Lean \Lean\ (l[=e]n), verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Leaned} (l[=e]nd), sometimes {Leant} (l[e^]nt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Leaning}.] [OE. lenen, AS. hlinian, hleonian, verb (used without an object); akin to OS. hlin[=o]n, D. leunen, OHG. hlin[=e]n, lin[=e]n, G. lehnen, L. inclinare, Gr. kli'nein, L. clivus hill, slope. [root]40. Cf. {Declivity}, {Climax}, {Incline}, {Ladder}.]
1. 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.
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.
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.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
lean
adjective
1: lacking excess flesh; "you can't be too rich or too thin"; "Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look"-Shakespeare [syn: {thin}] [ant: {fat}]
2: lacking in mineral content or combustible material; "lean ore"; "lean fuel" [ant: {rich}]
3: containing little excess; "a lean budget"; "a skimpy allowance" [syn: {skimpy}]
4: low in mineral content; "a lean ore"
5: not profitable or prosperous; "a lean year"
noun: the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical; "the tower had a pronounced tilt"; "the ship developed a list to starboard"; "he walked with a heavy inclination to the right" [syn: {tilt}, {list}, {inclination}, {leaning}]
verb
1: to incline or bend from a vertical position; "She leaned over the banister" [syn: {tilt}, {tip}, {slant}, {angle}]
2: cause to lean or incline; "He leaned his rifle against the wall"
3: have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined; "She tends to be nervous before her lectures"; "These dresses run small"; "He inclined to corpulence" [syn: {tend}, {be given}, {incline}, {run}]
4: rely on for support; "We can lean on this man"
5: cause to lean to the side; "Erosion listed the old tree" [syn: {list}] [also: {leant}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
leant See {lean}
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |