3 ADJ If you describe someone as lean , you mean that they are thin but look strong and healthy. [APPROVAL ] □ Like most athletes, she was lean and muscular. □ She watched the tall, lean figure step into the car.
4 ADJ If meat is lean , it does not have very much fat. □ It is a beautiful meat, very lean and tender.
5 ADJ If you describe an organization as lean , you mean that it has become more efficient and less wasteful by getting rid of staff, or by dropping projects which were unprofitable. □ The value of the pound will force British companies to be leaner and fitter.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe periods of time as lean , you mean that people have less of something such as money or are less successful than they used to be. □ …the lean years of the 1930s. □ With fewer tourists in town, the taxi trade is going through its leanest patch for 30 years.
▸ lean on or lean upon PHRASAL VERB If you lean on someone or lean upon them, you depend on them for support and encouragement. □ [V P n] She leaned on him to help her to solve her problems.
▸ lean towards PHRASAL VERB If you lean towards or lean toward a particular idea, belief, or type of behaviour, you have a tendency to think or act in a particular way. □ [V P n] Most scientists would probably lean toward this viewpoint. SYNONYMS lean VERB 1
bend: I bent over and kissed her cheek.
tip: He leaned away from her, and she had to tip her head back to see him.
incline: Jack inclined his head very slightly.
lean|ing /liː n I ŋ/ (leanings ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your particular leanings are the beliefs, ideas, or aims you hold or a tendency you have towards them. □ Many companies are wary of their socialist leanings. □ [+ towards ] I always had a leaning towards sport.
lea n ma nu|fa c|tur|ing N‑UNCOUNT Lean manufacturing is a manufacturing method which aims to reduce wastage, for example by keeping stocks low and by working more flexibly. [BUSINESS ] □ …efficiency-raising techniques such as lean manufacturing.
lea n pro|du c|tion N‑UNCOUNT Lean production is the same as lean manufacturing . [BUSINESS ] □ …Japanese-style lean production techniques.
leant /le nt/ Leant is one of the forms of the past tense and past participle of lean . [BRIT ]
lea n-to (lean-tos ) N‑COUNT A lean-to is a building such as a shed or garage which is attached to one wall of a larger building, and which usually has a sloping roof.
leap ◆◇◇ /liː p/ (leaps , leaping , leaped or leapt ) British English usually uses the form leapt as the past tense and past participle. American English usually uses leaped . 1 VERB If you leap , you jump high in the air or jump a long distance. □ [V prep/adv] He had leapt from a window in the building and escaped. □ [V ] The man threw his arms out as he leapt. ● N‑COUNT Leap is also a noun. □ [+ of ] He won the championship with a leap of 2.37 metres.
2 VERB If you leap somewhere, you move there suddenly and quickly. □ [V prep/adv] The two men leaped into the jeep and roared off. □ [V prep/adv] With a terrible howl, he leapt forward and threw himself into the water.
3 VERB If a vehicle leaps somewhere, it moves there in a short sudden movement. □ [V adv/prep] The car leapt forward.
4 N‑COUNT A leap is a large and important change, increase, or advance. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ in ] The result has been a giant leap in productivity. □ [+ from ] …the leap in the unemployed from 35,000 to 75,000. □ Contemporary art has taken a huge leap forward in the last five or six years.
5 VERB If you leap to a particular place or position, you make a large and important change, increase, or advance. □ [V prep] The team leapt to 12th in the table.
6 VERB If you leap at a chance or opportunity, you accept it quickly and eagerly. □ [V + at ] The post of principal of the theatre school became vacant and he leapt at the chance.
7 PHRASE You can use in leaps and bounds or by leaps and bounds to emphasize that someone or something is improving or increasing quickly and greatly. [EMPHASIS ] □ He's improved in leaps and bounds this season. □ The total number of species on the planet appears to be growing by leaps and bounds.
leap|frog /liː pfrɒg, [AM ] -frɔːg/ (leapfrogs , leapfrogging , leapfrogged )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Leapfrog is a game which children play, in which a child bends over, while others jump over their back.
2 VERB If one group of people leapfrogs into a particular position or leapfrogs someone else, they use the achievements of another person or group in order to make advances of their own. □ [V prep] It is already obvious that all four American systems have leapfrogged over the European versions. □ [V n] American researchers have now leapfrogged the Japanese and are going to produce a digital system within a year or two.
lea p of fai th (leaps of faith ) N‑COUNT If you take a leap of faith , you do something even though you are not sure it is right or will succeed. □ Take a leap of faith and trust them.
leapt /le pt/ Leapt is a past tense and past participle of leap .
lea p year (leap years ) N‑COUNT A leap year is a year which has 366 days. The extra day is the 29th February. There is a leap year every four years.
learn ◆◆◆ /lɜː r n/ (learns , learning , learned or learnt ) American English uses the form learned as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either learned or learnt . 1 VERB If you learn something, you obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training. □ [V n] Their children were going to learn English. □ [V to-inf] He is learning to play the piano. □ [V wh] …learning how to use new computer systems. □ [V ] Experienced teachers help you learn quickly. [Also V + about ] ● learn|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a bilingual approach to the learning of English.