leans

L1E1A1N1S1
/liːnz/

noun

A dangerous sensory illusion where the pilot of an aircraft believes themselves to be in a bank when they are actually wings-level, or vice-versa, often resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.

“If you don't use your flight instruments when flying in cloud, you can easily get the leans and enter a fatal graveyard spiral.”

Less commonScrabble 5

Meanings

leans1

verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of lean
noun
  1. aeronauticsA dangerous sensory illusion where the pilot of an aircraft believes themselves to be in a bank when they are actually wings-level, or vice-versa, often resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.

    If you don't use your flight instruments when flying in cloud, you can easily get the leans and enter a fatal graveyard spiral.

  2. pluralplural of lean

Leans2

proper noun
  1. pluralplural of Lean

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with leans

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

leans. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leans

MLA

“leans.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leans. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leans,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leans.

Source: leans on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.