British filmmaker. His works include The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), both of which won Academy Awards.
lean 1(ln)
v.leaned, lean·ing, leans
v.intr.
1. To bend or slant away from the vertical.
2. To incline the weight of the body so as to be supported: leaning against the railing. See Synonyms at slant.
3. To rely for assistance or support: Lean on me for help.
4. To have a tendency or preference: a government that leans toward fascism.
5. Informal To exert pressure: The boss is leaning on us to meet the deadline.
v.tr.
1. To set or place so as to be resting or supported.
2. To cause to incline.
n.
A tilt or an inclination away from the vertical.
[Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]
lean 2(ln)
adj.lean·er, lean·est
1. Not fleshy or fat; thin.
2. Containing little or no fat.
3.
a. Not productive or prosperous; meager: lean years.
b. Containing little excess or waste; spare: a lean budget.
c. Thrifty in management; economical: Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive(Christian Science Monitor).
4. Metallurgy Low in mineral contents: lean ore.
Chemistry Lacking in combustible material: lean fuel.
n.
Meat with little or no fat.
[Middle English lene, from Old English hlne.]
leanly adv.
leanness n.
Synonyms: lean2, spare, skinny, scrawny, lank, lanky, rawboned, gaunt These adjectives mean lacking excess flesh. Lean emphasizes absence of fat: fattened the lean cattle for market. Spare sometimes suggests trimness and good muscle tone: an old man, very tall and spare, with an ascetic aspect (William H. Mallock). Skinny and scrawny imply unattractive thinness, as with undernourishment: The child has skinny legs with prominent knees.He [had] a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar (Winston Churchill). Lank describes one who is thin and tall, and lanky one who is thin, tall, and ungraceful: He was . . . exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders (Washington Irving). The boy had developed into a lanky adolescent. Rawboned suggests a thin, bony, gangling build: a rawboned cowhand. Gaunt implies boniness and a haggard appearance; it may suggest illness or hardship: a white-haired pioneer, her face gaunt from overwork.
lean /lin/ v.1 [I] to rest against for support: He leaned against a wall.2 [I] to bend from the waist: He then leaned over and picked a flower.3 phrasal v.insep. [T] to lean on or upon s.o.: to depend on for help: Her children lean on her, even though they are adults.4 phrasal v.insep. [I] to lean toward(s): to favor, prefer: She leans toward going on vacation in July, not August. adj.-er, -est1 (of a person) thin, not fat: Professional dancers are usually lean.2 (of meat) with little fat: They eat lean meat with the fat cut off.3 producing little, meager: The country is going through lean times now because of the recession.4infrml.fig.lean and mean: hungry and aggressive, esp. to increase business or to win a sports competition: The company laid off 1,000 workers and is now lean and mean and ready to make money.
adj. -er, -est 1 (of a person) thin, not fat: Professional dancers are usually lean. 2 (of meat) with little fat: They eat lean meat with the fat cut off. 3 producing little, meager: The country is going through lean times now because of the recession. 4 infrml.fig. lean and mean: hungry and aggressive, esp. to increase business or to win a sports competition: The company laid off 1,000 workers and is now lean and mean and ready to make money. 
n)
ne.]
ly adv.