the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
"the tower had a pronounced tilt"
"the ship developed a list to starboard"
"he walked with a heavy inclination to the right"
the act of deviating from a vertical position
"The tall oak tree began leaning heavily to the right after the storm damaged its roots."
A tendency or propensity.
"He has a leaning toward classical music rather than jazz."
present participle of lean
"The cat was leaning against the warm radiator while it slept."
In plain English: To lean means to rest your body against something while standing, sitting, or moving.
"She leaned against the wall to rest her back for a moment."
The word leaning comes from the Old English term hlinung, which originally meant a state of leaning or a place for resting. It entered Middle English as lening before evolving into its current form.