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Lean vs Scant - What's the difference?

lean | scant | Synonyms |

As verbs the difference between lean and scant

is that lean is to incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating while scant is to limit in amount or share; to stint.

As adjectives the difference between lean and scant

is that lean is slim; not fleshy while scant is very little, very few.

As a noun scant is

a block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.

As an adverb scant is

with difficulty; scarcely; hardly.

lean

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) ; via Proto-Indo-European with climate, cline.

Verb

  • To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
  • To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; with to'', ''toward , etc.
  • * (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • They delight rather to lean to their old customs.
  • To rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.; with on'', ''upon'', or ''against .
  • * (1809-1892)
  • He leaned not on his fathers but himself.
  • * , chapter=23
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.}}
  • To hang outwards.
  • To press against.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • His fainting limbs against an oak he leant .
    Derived terms
    * lean back * leaning * lean on * lean-to

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (of a person or animal) slim; not fleshy.
  • (of meat) having little fat.
  • Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
  • a lean''' budget; a '''lean harvest
  • Of a fuel-air mixture, having more air than is necessary to burn all of the fuel; more air- or oxygen- rich than necessary for a stoichiometric reaction.
  • (printing, archaic) Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
  • lean copy, matter, or type
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
  • * {{quote-magazine
  • , year=1938 , month=July , author=Blaine and Dupont Miller , title=Weather Hop , page=25 , magazine=Boy's Life , publisher=Boy Scouts of America , issn=0006-8608 citation , passage=He leaned the mixture in an effort to cause a backfire through the carburetor, the generally accepted method of breaking the ice loose. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine
  • , year=2002 , month=July , author=Tom Benenson , title=Can Your Engine Run Too Lean? , volume=129 , issue=7 , page=73 , magazine=Flying , issn=0015-4806 citation , passage=Even the Pilot's Operating Handbooks (POH) for our training airplanes add to our paranoia with their insistence that we not lean the mixture until we're above 5000 feet density altitude. }}

    Etymology 3

    Icelandic (leyna)?; akin to (etyl) word for "deny". Compare .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To conceal.
  • (Ray)

    See also

    *

    References

    * *

    scant

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Very little, very few.
  • "After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John."
  • Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager; not enough.
  • a scant''' allowance of provisions or water; a '''scant pattern of cloth for a garment
  • * Ridley
  • His sermon was scant , in all, a quarter of an hour.
  • Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence.

    Synonyms

    * few, little, slight * (l)

    Antonyms

    * ample, plenty

    Derived terms

    * scanty

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To limit in amount or share; to stint.
  • to scant''' someone in provisions; to '''scant ourselves in the use of necessaries
  • * Shakespeare
  • Scant not my cups.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • where man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted
  • * Dryden
  • I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions.
  • To fail, or become less; to scantle.
  • The wind scants .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (masonry) A block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.
  • (masonry) A sheet of stone.
  • (wood) A slightly thinner measurement of a standard wood size.
  • Adverb

    (-)
  • With difficulty; scarcely; hardly.
  • * Fuller
  • So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs.
    (Francis Bacon)

    Anagrams

    * *