thigh
[thahy]
- the part of the lower limb in humans between the hip and the knee.
- the corresponding part of the hind limb of other animals; the femoral region.
- (in birds)
- the true femoral region that is hidden by the skin or feathers of the body.
- the segment below, containing the fibula and tibia.
- Entomology. the femur.
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for thighs
Contemporary Examples
After tightening her collar, Stella assumed slave posture: on her knees, legs slightly spread, palm resting face-up on her thighs.
She tugged on the black rope that wrapped around his thighs and torso, her leather gloves creaking with each adjustment.
One bite too many, and I could look down and practically see my thighs expanding before my eyes.
And part reading too much about Gwyneth Paltrow's cleanses, as though if I deny myself enough I will get her thighs.
Deep Squat—For most squats you want to get your thighs parallel with the ground but for a deep squat you go ALL the way down.
Historical Examples
A man's thighs, however, interest me in any mood and at any time.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
Fagerolles, who affected a low devil-may-care style, slapped his thighs.
His MasterpieceEmile Zola
And they all exhibited their astonishment, and slapped their thighs.
L'AssommoirEmile Zola
The mud crept to his knees and gradually began to ascend his thighs.
The Fiery TotemArgyll Saxby
He looked at the palms of his hands, and rubbed them gently against his thighs.
Under Western EyesJoseph Conrad
thigh
- the part of the leg between the hip and the knee in man
- the corresponding part in other vertebrates and insects
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Word Origin
Old English thēh; related to Old Frisian thiāch, Old High German dioh thigh, Old Norse thjō buttock, Old Slavonic tyku fat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for thighs
thigh
n.
Old English þeoh, þeh, from Proto-Germanic *theukhom (cf. Old Frisian thiach, Old Dutch thio, Dutch dij, Old Norse þjo, Old High German dioh), from PIE *teuk- from root *teu- "to swell" (cf. Lithuanian taukas, Old Church Slavonic tuku, Russian tuku "fat of animals;" Lithuanian tukti "to become fat;" Greek tylos "callus, lump," tymbos "burial mound, grave, tomb;" Old Irish ton "rump;" Latin tumere "to swell," tumulus "raised heap of earth," tumor "a swelling;" Middle Irish tomm "a small hill," Welsh tom "mound"). Thus thigh is literally "the thick or fat part of the leg."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
thigh
(thī)- The part of the leg between the hip and the knee.femur
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.