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• leg
  leg

  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.
• leg.
  leg.

  abbreviation

  legal.

leg

¹ American  

[leg] / lɛg /

noun

• legs
  plural

1. 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.

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

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

4. the part of a garment that covers the leg.

   the legs of pantyhose;

   his trouser leg.

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

   sturdy piano legs.

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

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

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

9. one of the flanges of an angle iron.

10. one of the distinct sections of any course.

    the last leg of a trip.

11. Nautical.

    1. one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a sailing ship.

    2. one straight or nearly straight part of a multiple-sided course in a sailing race.

12. Sports.

    1. one of a designated number of contests that must be successfully completed in order to determine the winner.

    2. one of the stretches or sections of a relay race.

13. Slang. legs, staying power, especially the capacity to draw large audiences steadily over a long period.

    I had hoped for a bestseller, but my second novel had no legs.

14. 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.

15. Cricket.

    1. 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.

    2. the fielder playing this part of the field.

    3. the position of this fielder.

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

17. 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.

18. bride.

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verb (used with object)

• legs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• legged,
  past participle,  past
• legging
  present participle

1. to move or propel (a boat) with the legs.

   They legged the boat through the tunnel.

verb phrase

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

idioms

1. pull someone's leg,

   1. to make fun of someone; tease.

   2. to deceive someone; trick someone.

      She thought someone was pulling her leg when she got the call from the Nobel Committee.

2. 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.

3. leg it, to walk rapidly or run.

   We'd better leg it or we'll be late for class.

4. 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.

5. on one's / its last legs, just short of exhaustion, breakdown, failure, etc..

   The aristocracy was on its last legs.

6. leg up,

   1. a means of help or encouragement; assist; boost.

      Studying the material with a tutor will give you a leg up on passing the exam.

   2. advantage; edge.

7. break a leg. break.

8. shake a leg,

   1. to hurry up.

      If you don't shake a leg, we'll miss the opening number.

   2. Older Use. to dance.

      The dance floor was flooded with couples shaking a leg to the loud and lively music.

leg. ² American  

abbreviation

1. legal.

2. legate.

3. legato.

4. legend.

5. legislation.

6. legislative.

7. legislature.

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leg ¹ British  

/ lɛɡ /

noun

1. 1. either of the two lower limbs, including the bones and fleshy covering of the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella

   2. ( as modifier )

      leg guard

      leg rest

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

3. this part of an animal, esp the thigh, used for food

   leg of lamb

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

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

6. the part of a garment that covers the leg

7. a section or part of a journey or course

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

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

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

11. nautical

    1. the distance travelled without tacking

    2. (in yacht racing) the course between any two marks

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

13. cricket

    1. the side of the field to the left of a right-handed batsman as he faces the bowler

    2. ( as modifier )

       a leg slip

       leg stump

14. 1. to help someone to climb an obstacle by pushing upwards

    2. to help someone to advance

15. informal to be successful or show the potential to succeed

16. to have no reasonable or logical basis for an opinion or argument

17. worn out; exhausted

18. informal to tease, fool, or make fun of someone

19. informal

    1. to hurry up: usually used in the imperative

    2. to dance

20. informal to get up in the morning

21. See stretch

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verb

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

2. informal to walk, run, or hurry

leg. ² British  

abbreviation

1. legato

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leg More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing leg

• 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• legless
  adjective
• leglike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• legs
  plural

Participles

• legging
  present
• legged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• leg
  simple
• legs
  simple
• have legged
  perfect
• has legged
  perfect
• am legging
  progressive
• are legging
  progressive
• is legging
  progressive
• have been legging
  perfect progressive
• has been legging
  perfect progressive

Past

• legged
  simple
• had legged
  perfect
• was legging
  progressive
• were legging
  progressive
• had been legging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will leg
  simple
• will have legged
  perfect
• will be legging
  progressive
• will have been legging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of leg

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Old Norse leggr, akin to Greek láx, lágdēn “with the foot”

Explanation

A leg is the part of a person's body that they use to walk around. All legs, including those of humans and tables alike, are meant to support. Your leg is the appendage that stretches from your hip to your ankle, bending handily at the knee so you can run, walk, jump, sit, and skip. You probably also use the word leg to refer to one side of your pants; a support holding a table up; and one separate section of a long trip: "I'm stopping for coffee on the next leg of my journey." Leg probably comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to bend."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

leg leg. legs legged legging

A Los Angeles jury awarded $28 million to a motorcyclist whose leg was crushed by a city firetruck, the latest eye-popping sum carved out of city coffers for alleged reckless driving by a city employee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Greater relative abundance of both R inulinivorans and R intestinalis was also associated with better performance on the leg press and bench press.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

He also bowled far too many down the leg side.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Aftonbladet newspaper reported that the attacker had been shot in the leg by police.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The bear responded with an attempt to kick up dirt with his hind leg, which, of course, did not work.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

This will allow time for moving averages to catch up in price and give the stock a rest and help it rebuild stamina for the potential next leg. up.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

"Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I'm in the semi-finals at Queen's. I'd probably go on court with a broken leg. I wouldn't have pulled out for anything."

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2025

“Falling off a cliff, having to splint her leg. You don’t splint your leg unless your leg is broken and if your leg is broken, you’re not walking miles on it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025

“I’ve battled through a lot in my career, to be honest. I mean, my first game in my career I broke my leg. I’ve been through a lot,” Randle said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2025

“He was one man. One sick man with an arrow in his leg. A horse brought him here, not a god.”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Except for the part where they pluck and prune themselves into the hairlessness of a dolphin; “Love is Blind’s” Zack Goytowski and “Love Island’s” Zach Georgiou both cop to shaving their legs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Reiner pointed to “a variety of physical ailments” that are “easy to see,” including bruised hands, swollen legs and an inability to stay awake.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

It’s not about having to squat 500 pounds but more being able to run and have fast legs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"I was really weak. I couldn't really feel my legs any more," says Anaïs de Vos.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

After Joey successfully completes her mission, her courage grows steady legs, especially now that she isn’t confined to bed for months at a time.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Based on the skull's size and comparisons with related fossils, researchers estimate the animal was a sturdy four legged creature about a foot long.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026

With one out, Freddie Freeman legged out an infield single, despite playing through not only his gimpy right ankle but also “a little quad thing” Roberts said he has been dealing with in recent days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2025

The donations row had already sprouted and his defeated opponent, Jeremy Miles, legged it from the venue without so much as any warm words about the victor on camera.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2024

“It’s a horrible distance,” said Kaisa Larkas, 44, a mother of four who legged it past Eloise Kramer to capture the Olney title with a time of 63.37 seconds.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024

One day I replaced the old stump I sat on with a three-legged stool, and then I replaced the three- legged stool with this comfortable chair.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

In 2024, Lululemon stopped selling a new type of legging called the Breezethrough after some buyers said they made their stomachs and back sides look too big.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

The Australian Workers Union said the miners had been performing a manual style of extraction known as "air legging".

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2024

“This form of air legging should not be used to do this type of work,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024

What is it about the legging that makes it so perfect?

From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2023

The Dancing Trout pickup rattled past Nick Rael and then passed three older men legging it on the double up the road toward Joe Mondragon’s house.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• lap
• limb
• part
• pole
• stage