Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or characterized by a single slope or pitch.
  • noun A structure with a single-pitch roof that is attached to the side of a building as a wing or extension.
  • noun A shelter or shed having a roof with a single slope or pitch.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having rafters or supports pitched against or leaning on another building, a wall, or the like: as, a lean-to roof.
  • noun A building whose rafters or supports pitch against or lean upon another building, or against a wall, or the like; a penthouse.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Arch.) Having only one slope or pitch; -- said of a roof.
  • noun (Arch.) A shed or slight building placed against the wall of a larger structure and having a single-pitched roof; -- called also penthouse, and to-fall.
  • noun A crude, usually temporary shelter comprising a lean-to roof braced against any convenient support, as a wall, a tree or a pole. The roof may extend all the way to the ground.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A shelter with a sloped roof; also a building with a similar construction attached to the side of a building as an extension.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun rough shelter whose roof has only one slope

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested 1461.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word lean-to.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • 'Formerly a high judicial officer' makes it sound as if he/she has been dewigged by a scandal.

    April 11, 2008

  • "A shed or slight building placed against the wall of a larger structure and having a single-pitched roof; -- called also penthouse, and to-fall."

    -- from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

    September 9, 2014