Main Entry:

³lean

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: lacking or deficient in flesh b: containing little or no fat <lean meat>2: lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness <lean profits> <the lean years>3: deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: as aof ore : containing little valuable mineral b: low in combustible component —used especially of fuel mixtures 4: characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation)

— lean·ly adverb

— lean·ness \ˈlēn-nəs\ noun

synonyms lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh. lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours <a lean racehorse>. spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise <the gymnast's spare figure>. lank implies tallness as well as leanness <the lank legs of the heron>. lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness <a lanky youth, all arms and legs>. gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering <a prisoner's gaunt face>. rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment <a rawboned farmer>. scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality <a scrawny chicken> <skinny street urchins>.