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leg

[leg]
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noun
  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 leg of a stocking; trouser leg.
  5. one of usually several, relatively tall, slender supports for a piece of furniture.
  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. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Electricity. a component or branch of a circuit, network, antenna, etc.
  16. 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.
  17. bride2(def 1).
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verb (used with object), legged, leg·ging.
  1. to move or propel (a boat) with the legs: They legged the boat through the tunnel.
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Verb Phrases
  1. leg up, to help (someone) to mount a horse.
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Idioms
  1. leg it, Informal. to walk rapidly or run: We'd better leg it or we'll be late for class.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. on one's/its last legs, just short of exhaustion, breakdown, failure, etc.: The aristocracy was on its last legs.
  5. pull someone's leg,
    1. to make fun of someone; tease.
    2. to deceive someone; trick someone.
  6. shake a leg, Informal.
    1. to hurry up.
    2. Older Use.to dance.
  7. 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.
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Origin of leg

1225–75; 1915–20 for def 10; Middle English < Old Norse leggr
Related formsleg·less, adjectiveleg·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

limbpolepartlapstagestumpshankcolumnsegmentsupportstakepropmemberstretchportionpileuprightpostbracesection

Examples from the Web for legs

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • He sat down in a chair, and stretched out his legs, with an air of being at home.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • We dined on frogs' legs and Vouvray, and then went to see the Revue at the Marigny.

    Ballads of a Bohemian

    Robert W. Service

  • If he sat down his legs were gathered, and he seemed about to stand up.

  • The table serving as washstand stood securely on its four legs.

    The Roof of France

    Matilda Betham-Edwards

  • As he clapped his legs to the horse's back he stuck his knife into the Potawatami.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

British Dictionary definitions for legs

leg

noun
    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 Related adjective: crural
  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 foodleg 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. give someone a leg up
    1. to help someone to climb an obstacle by pushing upwards
    2. to help someone to advance
  15. have legs informal to be successful or show the potential to succeed
  16. not have a leg to stand on to have no reasonable or logical basis for an opinion or argument
  17. on its last legs worn out; exhausted
  18. pull someone's leg informal to tease, fool, or make fun of someone
  19. shake a leg informal
    1. to hurry up: usually used in the imperative
    2. to dance
  20. show a leg informal to get up in the morning
  21. stretch one's legs See stretch (def. 17)
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verb legs, legging or legged
  1. (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
  2. leg it informal to walk, run, or hurry
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Derived Formsleglike, adjective

Word Origin

C13: from Old Norse leggr, of obscure origin
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 legs

leg

v.

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

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leg

n.

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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
legs in Medicine

leg

(lĕg)
n.
  1. One of the two lower limbs of the human body, especially the part between the knee and the foot.
  2. A supporting part resembling a leg in shape or function.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with legs

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
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.