(Homonym: lien).
1. Containing little excess; SYN. skimpy.
2. Not fat; skinny; trim.
3. Lacking in mineral content or combustible material.
4. Not profitable or prosperous.
5. (Metallurgy) Low in mineral content.

1. The act or an instance of leaning; inclination
2. The part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle

(Homonym: lien).
(Irregular preterit, past participle: leaned).
1. To cause to lean or incline.
2. To rely on for support.
3. To incline or bend from a vertical position; SYN. tilt, tip, slant, angle.

(1908-1991) English film director. His films, noted for their painstaking craftsmanship, include early work codirected with playwright Noël Coward. Brief Encounter 1946 established Lean as a leading talent. Among his later films are such accomplished epics as The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 (Academy Award), Lawrence of Arabia 1962 (Academy Award), and Dr Zhivago 1965. The unfavorable reaction to Ryan’s Daughter 1970 caused him to withdraw from filmmaking for over a decade, but A Passage to India 1984 represented a return to form.