thigh

American  

[thahy] / θaɪ /

noun

thighs plural

1. the part of the lower limb in humans between the hip and the knee.

2. the corresponding part of the hind limb of other animals; the femoral region.

3. (in birds)

   1. the true femoral region that is hidden by the skin or feathers of the body.

   2. the segment below, containing the fibula and tibia.

4. Entomology. the femur.

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thigh British  

/ θaɪ /

noun

1. the part of the leg between the hip and the knee in man

2. the corresponding part in other vertebrates and insects

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thighs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thigh

before 900; Middle English thi, thigh ( e ), the ( h ), Old English thīoh, thēoh; cognate with Dutch dij, Old High German dioh, Old Norse thjō

Explanation

Your thigh is the part of your leg between your hip and your knee. Your thighs are probably the strongest parts of your body. Humans' thighs have just one extremely strong bone, the femur, and many muscles, including the hamstrings and quadriceps. Your thigh is joined to your torsos with a ball-and-socket hip joint, and to your lower leg by the hinge joint of a knee. The word thigh comes from a Germanic source that means "the thick or fat part of the leg."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thigh thighs

Their goal was to estimate how much stress gravity and body weight placed on the femur, or thigh bone, when each dinosaur shifted its weight onto its hind legs.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

But just before the second-half hydration break, he dropped to the turf with a thigh injury that required attention from trainers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

But the thigh is not the concern this week, with sources indicating that Raducanu has a shin problem.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Beside him, Rama Adam Ibrahim, 17, has just received a skin graft taken from his thigh to reconstruct the skin of his right foot.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

I curl the right one into a fist and pound it against my thigh.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

She clutches her thighs, then her chair, crying and occasionally looking up at the sky, as if searching for answers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Although semaglutide is widely used, a key issue with the drug is that it needs to be injected into the belly, thighs or back of the arm.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

These are expected to include non-surgical BBLs, face lifts and filler-based body contouring treatments, which alter the shape of areas such as the stomach, thighs or buttocks.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Mine, it turns out, are lemons and chicken thighs.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

We were quiet for so long, Miig began to stand up, pushing his hands on his thighs when Wab spoke again.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• femur
• groin