leanly


lean 1

L0089300 (lēn)v. leaned, lean·ing, leans v.intr.1. To bend or slant away from the vertical.2. To incline the weight of the body so as to be supported: leaning against the doorpost. See Synonyms at slant.3. To rely for assistance or support: Lean on me for help.4. To have a tendency or preference: a government that leans toward fascism.5. Informal To exert pressure: The boss is leaning on us to meet the deadline.v.tr.1. To set or place so as to be resting or supported: leaned the ladder against the wall.2. To cause to incline: leaned the boards so the rain would run off.n. A tilt or an inclination away from the vertical.
[Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]

lean 2

L0089300 (lēn)adj. lean·er, lean·est 1. a. Not fleshy or fat; thin.b. Containing little fat or less fat relative to a standard: lean hamburger.2. a. Not productive or prosperous; meager: lean years.b. Containing little excess or waste; spare: a lean budget.c. Thrifty in management, especially by employing just enough people to accomplish a task or do business: "Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive" (Christian Science Monitor).3. a. Metallurgy Low in mineral contents: lean ore.b. Chemistry Lacking in combustible material: lean fuel.n. Meat with little or no fat.
[Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne.]
lean′ly adv.lean′ness n.Synonyms: lean2, skinny, scrawny, lank, lanky, gaunt
These adjectives mean lacking excess flesh. Lean emphasizes absence of fat but usually suggests good health: The farmer fattened the lean cattle for market. Skinny and scrawny imply unattractive thinness, as from undernourishment: "His face and belly were so round, and his arms so skinny, that he looked like a dough ball with four sticks stuck into it" (John Green)."He [had] a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar" (Winston Churchill).
Lank describes one who is thin and tall, and lanky one who is thin, tall, and ungraceful: "He was ... exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders" (Washington Irving).
The boy had developed into a lanky adolescent. Gaunt implies boniness and a haggard appearance; it may suggest illness or hardship: a white-haired pioneer, her face gaunt from overwork.