lean

Meanings

To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
Followed by against, on, or upon: to rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.
To hang outwards.
To press against.
To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
To conceal.

An inclination away from the vertical.
Meat with no fat on it.
An organism that is lean in stature.
A recreational drug based on codeine-laced promethazine cough syrup, popular in the hip hop community in the southeastern United States.

Slim; not fleshy.
Having little fat.
Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".

From Middle English lenen ("to lean"), from Old English hleonian, hlinian, 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.
From Middle English lene ("lean"), from Old English hlǣne ("lean"), (cognate with Low German leen), perhaps from hlǣnan, from Proto-Germanic *hlainijaną ("to cause to lean"). If so, then related to Old English hlinian, hleonian.
From Icelandic leyna? Akin to German leugnen ("deny"). Compare lie.
Probably from the verb to lean (see etymology 1 above), supposedly because consumption of the intoxicating beverage causes one to "lean".

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