thigh

American  

[thahy] / θaɪ /

noun

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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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

Her piece is a simple lycra zip-up unitard, adorned with tennis ball pockets on either thigh.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Stones played in 73% of games for City during his first season at the club, but that has dropped down to 30% this term because of muscular issues including thigh and calf problems.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“The time has come to get with the dark-meat program. The boneless thigh may be the most perfect piece of meat or poultry imaginable.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

"The melanoma patient had dozens of metastatic tumors on her leg and foot, and we injected just one tumor up on her thigh," Ravetch says.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

I took off my cap and slapped it against my thigh.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• femur
• groin