leg

[ leg ]

/ lɛg /

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.

Nearby words

leftover, leftward, leftwardly, leftwards, lefty, leg, leg art, leg before wicket, leg break, leg bye, leg drop

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

Definition for shake a leg (2 of 2)

shake

[ sheyk ]

/ ʃeɪk /

verb (used without object), shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements.

to tremble with emotion, cold, etc.

to become dislodged and fall (usually followed by off or down): Sand shakes off easily.

to move something, or its support or container, briskly to and fro or up and down, as in mixing: Shake before using.

to totter; become unsteady.

to clasp another's hand in greeting, agreement, congratulations, etc.: Let's shake and be friends again.

Music. to execute a trill.

verb (used with object), shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

to move (something or its support or container) to and fro or up and down with short, quick, forcible movements: to shake a bottle of milk.

to brandish or flourish: to shake a stick at someone.

to grasp (someone or something) firmly in an attempt to move or rouse by, or as by, vigorous movement to and fro: We shook the tree.

to dislodge or dispense (something) by short, quick, forcible movements of its support or container: We shook nuts from the tree.

to cause to sway, rock, totter, etc.: to shake the very foundations of society.

to agitate or disturb profoundly in feeling: The experience shook him badly.

to cause to doubt or waver; weaken. to shake one's self-esteem.

Music. to trill (a note).

to mix (dice) by rolling in the palm of the hand before they are cast.

to get rid of; elude: They tried to shake their pursuers.

noun

an act or instance of shaking, rocking, swaying, etc.

tremulous motion.

a tremor.

shakes, (used with a singular verb) Informal. a state or spell of trembling, as caused by fear, fever, cold, etc. (usually preceded by the).

a disturbing blow; shock.

Informal. milk shake.

the act or a manner of clasping another's hand in greeting, agreement, etc.: He has a strong shake.

Informal. chance or fate; deal: a fair shake.

a cast of the dice: He threw an eight on his last shake.

something resulting from shaking.

an earthquake.

a fissure in the earth.

an internal crack or fissure in timber.

Music. trill¹(def 9).

an instant: I'll be with you in a shake.

Carpentry. a shingle or clapboard formed by splitting a short log into a number of tapered radial sections with a hatchet.

Horology. (in an escapement) the distance between the nearer corner of one pallet and the nearest tooth of the escape wheel when the other pallet arrests an escape tooth.

Chiefly South Midland U.S. shaker(def 2).

a dance deriving from the twist.

Slang. the dried leaves of the marijuana plant.

Verb Phrases

shake down,

to cause to descend by shaking; bring down.
to cause to settle.
to condition; test: to shake down a ship.
Informal. to extort money from.
Slang. to search (someone), especially to detect concealed weapons.

shake off,

to rid oneself of; reject.
to get away from; leave behind.
Baseball, Softball. (of a pitcher) to indicate rejection of (a sign by the catcher for a certain pitch) by shaking the head or motioning with the glove.

shake up,

to shake in order to mix or loosen.
to upset; jar.
to agitate mentally or physically: The threat of attack has shaken up the entire country.

Origin of shake

before 900; (v.) Middle English s(c)haken, Old English sceacan; cognate with Low German schacken, Old Norse skaka; (noun) derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR shake

1 oscillate, waver. Shake, quiver, tremble, vibrate refer to an agitated movement that, in living things, is often involuntary. To shake is to agitate more or less quickly, abruptly, and often unevenly so as to disturb the poise, stability, or equilibrium of a person or thing: a pole shaking under his weight. To quiver is to exhibit a slight vibratory motion such as that resulting from disturbed or irregular (surface) tension: The surface of the pool quivered in the breeze. To tremble (used more often of a person) is to be agitated by intermittent, involuntary movements of the muscles, much like shivering and caused by fear, cold, weakness, great emotion, etc.: Even stout hearts tremble with dismay. To vibrate is to exhibit a rapid, rhythmical motion: A violin string vibrates when a bow is drawn across it.

2 shudder, shiver.

14 daunt.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shake ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

shak·a·ble, shake·a·ble, adjectivere·shake, verb, re·shook, re·shak·en, re·shak·ing.un·shak·a·ble, adjectiveun·shak·a·ble·ly, adverb

un·shake·a·ble, adjectiveun·shake·a·ble·ly, adverbun·sha·ken, adjectivewell-shak·en, adjective

Can be confusedshake sheik (see synonym study at the current entry)

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

British Dictionary definitions for shake a leg (1 of 2)

leg

/ (lɛɡ) /

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

British Dictionary definitions for shake a leg (2 of 2)

shake

/ (ʃeɪk) /

verb shakes, shaking, shook or shaken (ˈʃeɪkən)

to move or cause to move up and down or back and forth with short quick movements; vibrate

to sway or totter or cause to sway or totter

to clasp or grasp (the hand) of (a person) in greeting, agreement, etche shook John by the hand; he shook John's hand; they shook and were friends

shake hands to clasp hands in greeting, agreement, etc

shake on it informal to shake hands in agreement, reconciliation, etc

to bring or come to a specified condition by or as if by shakinghe shook free and ran

(tr) to wave or brandishhe shook his sword

(tr often foll by up) to rouse, stir, or agitate

(tr) to shock, disturb, or upsethe was shaken by the news of her death

(tr) to undermine or weakenthe crisis shook his faith

to mix (dice) by rattling in a cup or the hand before throwing

(tr) Australian archaic, slang to steal

(tr) US and Canadian informal to escape fromcan you shake that detective?

music to perform a trill on (a note)

(tr) US informal to fare or progress; happen as specifiedhow's it shaking?

shake a leg informal to hurry: usually used in the imperative

shake in one's shoes to tremble with fear or apprehension

shake one's head to indicate disagreement or disapproval by moving the head from side to side

shake the dust from one's feet to depart gladly or with the intention not to return

noun

the act or an instance of shaking

a tremor or vibration

the shakes informal a state of uncontrollable trembling or a condition that causes it, such as a fever

informal a very short period of time; jiffyin half a shake

a shingle or clapboard made from a short log by splitting it radially

a fissure or crack in timber or rock

an instance of shaking dice before casting

music another word for trill 1 (def. 1)

a dance, popular in the 1960s, in which the body is shaken convulsively in time to the beat

an informal name for earthquake

short for milk shake

no great shakes informal of no great merit or value; ordinary

See also shake down, shake off, shake up

Derived Formsshakable or shakeable, adjective

Word Origin for shake

Old English sceacan; related to Old Norse skaka to shake, Old High German untscachōn to be driven

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 shake a leg (1 of 4)

shake

Old English sceacan "move (something) quickly to and fro, brandish; move the body or a part of it rapidly back and forth;" also "go, glide, hasten, flee, depart" (cf. sceacdom "flight"); of persons or parts of the body, "to tremble" especially from fever, cold, fear" (class VI strong verb; past tense scoc, past participle scacen), from Proto-Germanic *skakanan (cf. Old Norse, Swedish skaka, Danish skage "to shift, turn, veer"). No certain cognates outside Germanic, but some suggest a possible connection to Sanskrit khaj "to agitate, churn, stir about," Old Church Slavonic skoku "a leap, bound," Welsh ysgogi "move."

Of the earth in earthquakes, c.1300. Meaning "seize and shake (someone or something else)" is from early 14c. In reference to mixing ingredients, etc., by shaking a container from late 14c. Meaning "to rid oneself of by abrupt twists" is from c.1200, also in Middle English in reference to evading responsibility, etc. Meaning "weaken, impair" is from late 14c., on notion of "make unstable."

To shake hands dates from 1530s. Shake a (loose) leg "hurry up" first recorded 1904; shake a heel (sometimes foot) was an old way to say "to dance" (1660s); to shake (one's) elbow (1620s) meant "to gamble at dice." Phrase more _____ than you can shake a stick at is attested from 1818, American English. To shake (one's) head as a sign of disapproval is recorded from c.1300.

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (1 of 4)

shake

late 14c., "charge, onrush," from shake (v.). Meaning "a hard shock" is from 1560s. From 1580s as "act of shaking;" 1660s as "irregular vibration." The hand-grip salutation so called by 1712. As a figure of instantaneous action, it is recorded from 1816. Phrase fair shake "honest deal" is attested from 1830, American English. The shakes "nervous agitation" is from 1620s. Short for milk shake from 1911. Dismissive phrase no great shakes (1816, Byron) perhaps is from dicing.

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (2 of 4)

leg

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

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (3 of 4)

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.

Medicine definitions for shake a leg

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 shake a leg (1 of 3)

shake a leg

Dance, as in Whenever there was music he was eager to shake a leg. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]

Hurry up, as in Shake a leg or we'll miss the plane. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with shake a leg (2 of 3)

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

Idioms and Phrases with shake a leg (3 of 3)

shake

In addition to the idioms beginning with shake

shake a leg
shake a stick at
shake down
shake hands
shake in one's boots
shake off
shake one's head
shake someone's tree
shake the dust from one's feet
shake up
shake with laughter

also see:

all shook (shaken) up
fair shake
in two shakes
more than one can shake a stick at
movers and shakers
no great shakes
quake (shake) in one's boots

leg

.css-1gxch3{color:#1a1a1a;font-size:18px;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}noun

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of leg

Definition for.css-ylq2vz{color:#1a1a1a;} shake a leg (2 of 2)

shake

verb (used without object), shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

verb (used with object), shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of shake

British Dictionary definitions for shake a leg (1 of 2)

leg

noun

verb legs, legging or legged

Word Origin for leg

British Dictionary definitions for shake a leg (2 of 2)

shake

verb shakes, shaking, shook or shaken (ˈʃeɪkən)

noun

Word Origin for shake

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (1 of 4)

shake

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (1 of 4)

shake

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (2 of 4)

leg

Word Origin and History for shake a leg (3 of 4)

leg

Medicine definitions for shake a leg

leg

n.

Idioms and Phrases with shake a leg (1 of 3)

shake a leg

Idioms and Phrases with shake a leg (2 of 3)

leg

Idioms and Phrases with shake a leg (3 of 3)

shake

noun

Definition for shake a leg (2 of 2)