Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
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leaning

adjective · noun US /ˈliːnɪŋ/

departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal

How often you will meet it

Rank 1,625 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 11,177 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.

What it means

adjective

  1. departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal also: atilt, canted, tilted, tipped the leaning tower of Pisathe headstones were tilted

noun

  1. an inclination to do something also: propensity, tendency he felt leanings toward frivolity
  2. a natural inclination also: proclivity, propensity he has a proclivity for exaggeration
  3. the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical also: tilt, list, inclination, lean the tower had a pronounced tiltthe ship developed a list to starboard
  4. the act of deviating from a vertical position

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

leaning in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • Then: "They must be about all there," she spoke, leaning out.

    The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1

  • Leaning against a gas-lamp on the Boulevard, he unfolded the paper he had just bought.

    Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1

  • Lord Henry smiled, and leaning down, plucked a pink-petalled daisy from the grass and examined it.

    The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1

  • One bright morning in May, a portly gentleman, leaning heavily on a gold-headed cane, was walking up the narrow city street.

    Cornelli · Johanna Spyri · Chapter 1

  • So he pulled his stool up to a great chest full of gypsum to get a little repose by leaning against it.

    The Emperor — Volume 02 · Georg Ebers · Chapter 1

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