adjective
lean
Containing little excess fat or bulk.
She chooses lean cuts of beef for her weekly meals.
Etymology
Old English hlǣne meant lean or thin. The modern sense keeps that lack of excess flesh and extends it to other kinds of unnecessary bulk.
More examples
- The runner has a lean, muscular build.
- This ground turkey is leaner than the beef.
- We keep the operation lean by eliminating unnecessary steps.
Forms
lean · leaner · leanest
leanness noun — The quality of having little excess fat or bulk.