Lean n Sir David. 1908--91, English film director. His films include In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)
lean [1]
vb , leans, leaning, leaned, leant
1 foll by: against, on, or upon to rest or cause to rest against a support
2 to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
3 intr; foll by: to or towards to have or express a tendency or leaning
4 ♦
lean over backwards
Informal to make a special effort, esp. in order to please
n
5 the condition of inclining from a vertical position, (See also)
→
lean on
(Old English hleonian, hlinian; related to Old High German hlinen, Latin clinare to incline)
lean [2]
adj
1 (esp. of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
3 (of meat) having little or no fat
4 not rich, abundant, or satisfying
5 (of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air
a lean mixture
6 (of printer's type) having a thin appearance
7 (of a paint) containing relatively little oil
8 (of an ore) not having a high mineral content
9 (of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
n
10 the part of meat that contains little or no fat
(Old English hlæne, of Germanic origin)
♦
leanly adv
♦
leanness n
lean-burn
adj (esp. of an internal-combustion engine) designed to use a lean mixture of fuel and air in order to reduce petrol consumption and exhaust emissions
lean on
vb intr, prep
1 (Also)
lean upon to depend on for advice, support, etc.
2 Informal to exert pressure on (someone), as by threats or intimidation
lean-to
n pl , -tos
1 a roof that has a single slope with its upper edge adjoining a wall or building
2 a shed or outbuilding with such a roof