1. (a.) Destitute of, or having little, flesh; lean.

2. (a.) Destitute of richness, fertility, strength, or the like; defective in quantity, or poor in quality; poor; barren; scanty in ideas; wanting strength of diction or affluence of imagery.

3. (a.) Dry and harsh to the touch, as chalk.

4. (v. t.) To make lean.

5. (n.) A large European sciaenoid fish (Sciaena umbra or S. aquila), having white bloodless flesh. It is valued as a food fish.

bare barren bony broad deficient emaciated exiguous gaunt general half-starved inadequate indefinite infertile insufficient lean loose measly paltry pathetic piddling plain poor puny scant scanty scrawny scrimpy simple simplified skimpy skinny spare sparse starving thin trifling unadorned underfed undernourished unelaborate unembellished unfruitful unproductive vague