1. To bend or tilt forward or closer to the ground. OK, everyone, now lean over and touch your toes. The whole building leaned over during the hurricane, with many fearing it would topple over completely.

2. To bend or tilt someone or something gently toward or onto the ground. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "lean" and "over." The doctor leaned the man over to examine the wound on his lower back. We'll need to lean the whole machine over so we can access the panel on the bottom.

3. To bend, tilt, or suspend (oneself) across or over the edge of something. I leaned over the cliff and shouted down to the climbers. Tom leaned over the table and whispered something to Janet.