leg

[leg]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leg ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

either of the two lower limbs of a biped, as a human being, or any of the paired limbs of an animal, arthropod, etc., that support and move the body.

Anatomy. the lower limb of a human being from the knee to the ankle.

something resembling or suggesting a leg in use, position, or appearance.

the part of a garment that covers the leg: the leg of a stocking; trouser leg.

one of usually several, relatively tall, slender supports for a piece of furniture.

one of the sides of a forked object, as of a compass or pair of dividers.

one of the sides of a triangle other than the base or hypotenuse.

a timber, bar, or the like, serving to prop or shore up a structure.

one of the flanges of an angle iron.

one of the distinct sections of any course: the last leg of a trip.

Nautical.

one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a sailing ship.
one straight or nearly straight part of a multiple-sided course in a sailing race.

Sports.

one of a designated number of contests that must be successfully completed in order to determine the winner.
one of the stretches or sections of a relay race.

legs, (in wine tasting) the rivulets of wine that slowly descend along the inside of a glass after the wine has been swirled, sometimes regarded as an indication that the wine is full-bodied.

Cricket.

the part of the field to the left of and behind the batsman as he faces the bowler or to the right of and behind him if he is left-handed.
the fielder playing this part of the field.
the position of this fielder.

Electricity. a component or branch of a circuit, network, antenna, etc.

Radio and Television. a connecting link between stations in a network, as the microwave relays used in transmitting a show from one geographical area to another.

bride²(def 1).

verb (used with object), legged, leg·ging.

to move or propel (a boat) with the legs: They legged the boat through the tunnel.

Verb Phrases

leg up, to help (someone) to mount a horse.

Idioms

leg it, Informal. to walk rapidly or run: We'd better leg it or we'll be late for class.

leg up,

a means of help or encouragement; assist; boost: Studying the material with a tutor will give you a leg up on passing the exam.
advantage; edge.

not have a leg to stand on, to lack a valid or logical basis for one's argument or attitude: Without evidence, the prosecutor doesn't have a leg to stand on.

on one's/its last legs, just short of exhaustion, breakdown, failure, etc.: The aristocracy was on its last legs.

pull someone's leg,

to make fun of someone; tease.
to deceive someone; trick someone.

shake a leg, Informal.

to hurry up.
Older Use.to dance.

stretch one's legs, to take a walk; get some needed exercise after prolonged sitting: He got up during the intermission to stretch his legs.

Origin of leg

1225–75; 1915–20 for def 10; Middle English < Old Norse leggr

Related formsleg·less, adjectiveleg·like, adjective

leg.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for leg

limb, pole, part, lap, stage, stump, shank, column, segment, support, stake, prop, member, stretch, portion, pile, upright, post, brace, section

Examples from the Web for leg

Contemporary Examples of leg

I did a ten minute scene in his class: the guy who had gangrene in his leg in The Snows of Kilimanjaro.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile
Robert Ward
January 3, 2015
With every stroke, her leather boot creaked under the weight of her leg.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau
Ian Frisch
December 20, 2014
So what if you can barely twitch a toe let alone move a leg?
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room
Clive Irving
November 25, 2014
Overnight, a bar owner was shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet.
In Rome’s Riots, Cries for Mussolini and Attacks on Refugees
Barbie Latza Nadeau
November 14, 2014
“While in the building, I was kept on a hard floor in handcuffs and in leg irons,” he says.
What It’s Like to Be Snatched by the Delta Force
Michael Daly
October 9, 2014

Historical Examples of leg

If you can't skin yourself you can hold a leg while somebody else skins.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
In such a case he would have told the lady not to pull his leg.
Viviette
William J. Locke
"I hurt my leg and cannot ride," quoth the bishop's champion.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Burke slapped his leg with an enthusiasm that might have broken a weaker member.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
He cut off my brother-in-law's leg—charged him as much as if he had grown a new one for him.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for leg

leg

noun

either of the two lower limbs, including the bones and fleshy covering of the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella
(as modifier)leg guard; leg rest Related adjective: crural

any similar or analogous structure in animals that is used for locomotion or support

this part of an animal, esp the thigh, used for foodleg of lamb

something similar to a leg in appearance or function, such as one of the four supporting members of a chair

a branch, limb, or part of a forked or jointed object

the part of a garment that covers the leg

a section or part of a journey or course

a single stage, lap, length, etc, in a relay race

either one of two races on which a cumulative bet has been placed

either the opposite or adjacent side of a right-angled triangle

nautical

the distance travelled without tacking
(in yacht racing) the course between any two marks

one of a series of games, matches, or parts of games

cricket

the side of the field to the left of a right-handed batsman as he faces the bowler
(as modifier)a leg slip; leg stump

give someone a leg up

to help someone to climb an obstacle by pushing upwards
to help someone to advance

have legs informal to be successful or show the potential to succeed

not have a leg to stand on to have no reasonable or logical basis for an opinion or argument

on its last legs worn out; exhausted

pull someone's leg informal to tease, fool, or make fun of someone

shake a leg informal

to hurry up: usually used in the imperative
to dance

show a leg informal to get up in the morning

stretch one's legs See stretch (def. 17)

verb legs, legging or legged

(tr) obsolete to propel (a canal boat) through a tunnel by lying on one's back and walking one's feet along the tunnel roof

leg it informal to walk, run, or hurry

Derived Formsleglike, adjective

Word Origin for leg

C13: from Old Norse leggr, of obscure origin

leg.

abbreviation for

legato

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for leg

late 13c., from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse leggr "leg, bone of the arm or leg," from Proto-Germanic *lagjaz, with no certain ulterior connections, perhaps from a PIE root meaning "to bend" [Buck]. Cf. German Bein "leg," in Old High German "bone, leg." Replaced Old English shank. Of furniture supports from 1670s. The meaning "a part or stage of a journey or race" (1920) is from earlier sailing sense of "a run made on a single tack" (1867), which was usually qualified as long leg, short leg, etc. Slang phrase shake a leg "dance" is attested from 1881. To be on (one's) last legs "at the end of one's life" is from 1590s.

"to use the legs; walk or run," c.1500 (from the beginning usually with it); from leg (n.).

leg in Medicine

leg

[lĕg]

n.

One of the two lower limbs of the human body, especially the part between the knee and the foot.

A supporting part resembling a leg in shape or function.

Idioms and Phrases with leg

leg

In addition to the idiom beginning with leg

leg up, a

also see:

arm and a leg
break a leg
on one's last legs
pull someone's leg
shake a leg
stretch one's legs
tail between one's legs
without a leg to stand on