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leanness

One entry found.

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 
          Listen to the pronunciation of leanness \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>.
Learn more about "lean" and related topics at Britannica.com


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