legging

noun

leg·​ging ˈle-gən 

 also  ˈlā-,

-giŋ

variants or less commonly leggin

ˈle-gən 

 also  ˈlā-

plural leggings also leggins

1

a

: pants that are made of a material that stretches to fit tightly around the legs

—usually used in plural

Lycra-cotton leggings and tunic tops are the pregnant woman's best friend, sartorially speaking.

—Anne Reeks

b

: tights

—usually used in plural

Something about the name "footed leggings" just makes these sound way warmer than your basic tights.

—Melanie Richtman

2

a

: a covering (as of leather or cloth) for the legs worn over pants for protection

—usually used in plural

Welding leggings protect the lower leg (from the knee down) from sparks and spatter. Leather is naturally abrasion and flame resistant for use in applications with heavy sparks and spatter.

—Grainger.com

b

: a pair of separate coverings (as of leather or cloth) for the legs

—usually used in plural

… "leggings [worn by Plains Indians men] reached from the ankle to the thigh and were held in place by tying thongs, attached to their tops, to the belt. …"

—Norman Feder, quoted in Dress Clothing of the Plains Indians

Examples of legging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fast and Free High-rise Tight 25-inch 5-pocket There’s simply no such thing as having too many pockets, as exhibited by these fan-favorite five-pocket leggings, which are currently $69. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025

Meghan styled hers with a classic white T-shirt and comfy leggings. —Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

The collaboration will leverage VeChain’s ToolChain platform to attach unique QR codes or near-field communication (NFC) tags—each linked to an immutable digital record—to every jacket, hoodie and pair of leggings produced. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 23 Oct. 2025

Shop the brand’s best-selling hoodies, lightweight jackets, leggings, sweaters, and more. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Rhymes for legging

• begging
• pegging
• bootlegging

Kids Definition

legging

noun

leg·​ging

variants or leggin

ˈleg-ən 

ˈleg-iŋ

: a covering for the leg