lean

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   not profitable or prosperous

   a lean year

2. 2
   adj

   lacking in mineral content or combustible material

   lean ore

3. 3
   adj

   containing little excess

   a lean budget

4. 4
   verb

   rely on for support

   We can lean on this man

5. 5
   verb

   cause to incline or deviate from vertical

   They leaned their rifle against the wall.

6. 6
   verb

   to incline or bend from a vertical position

   The child leaned over the banister to yell at their sibling down below.

7. 7
   verb

   To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.

   a leaning column

8. 8
   verb

   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.

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.