leg

1 of 3

noun

ˈleg How to pronounce leg (audio)
 also  ˈlāg
1
: a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking: such as
a(1)
: one of the paired vertebrate limbs that in bipeds extend from the top of the thigh to the foot
(2)
: the part of such a limb between the knee and foot
b
: the back half of a hindquarter of a meat animal
c
: one of the rather generalized segmental appendages of an arthropod used in walking and crawling
2
a
: a pole or bar serving as a support or prop
the legs of a tripod
b
: a branch of a forked or jointed object
the legs of a compass
3
a
: the part of an article of clothing that covers the leg
b
: the part of the upper (as of a boot) that extends above the ankle
4
: obeisance, bow
used chiefly in the phrase to make a leg
5
: a side of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse
also : a side of an isosceles triangle that is not the base
6
a
: the course and distance sailed by a boat on a single tack
b
: a portion of a trip : stage
c
: one section of a relay race
d
: one of several events or games necessary to be won to decide a competition
won the first two legs of horse racing's Triple Crown
7
: a branch or part of an object or system
8
legs plural : long-term appeal or interest
a news story with legs
legless
ˈleg-ləs How to pronounce leg (audio)
 also  ˈlāg-
adjective
a legless chair
legless lizards
leglike adjective
or leg-like
ˈleg-ˌlīk How to pronounce leg (audio)
 also  ˈlāg-
leglike appendages

leg

2 of 3

verb

legged; legging

intransitive verb

: to use the legs in walking
especially : run

leg

3 of 3

abbreviation

1
legal
2
legato
3
legislative; legislature
Phrases
a leg to stand on
: support
especially : a basis for one's position in a controversy
on one's last legs
: at or near the end of one's resources : on the verge of failure, exhaustion, or ruin

Examples of leg in a Sentence

Noun He sat on a chair with his legs crossed. He leaned against the wall with his legs spread so the police could search him. She broke her leg in a skiing accident. His legs gave way under him and he fell over. We had chicken legs for dinner. Would you like some more leg of lamb? the legs of a table a chair with a broken leg Verb the car was in the shop so we had to leg it to work for a couple of days
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Malinowski is also missing his lower left leg, similarly to the movie character. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024 Marathon swimming and sailing will take place just offshore, as will the opening leg of the triathlon. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
The dark ride uses a vehicle mechanism in which riders legs dangle below them in order to simulate flying. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024 Plus, in a particularly clever design move, the pants legs zip together when they’re removed to keep you from losing track of them. Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leg 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leg.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse leggr

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leg was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near leg

Cite this Entry

“Leg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leg. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

leg

1 of 2 noun
1
: a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking and running
also : the part of a leg of a vertebrate animal between the knee and the foot
2
: something resembling an animal leg in shape or use
legs of a table
3
: the part of an article of clothing that covers the leg
4
: a side of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse
also : a side of an isosceles triangle that is not the base
5
a
: a portion of a trip : stage
b
: one section of a relay race

leg

2 of 2 verb
legged; legging
: to use the legs in walking or especially in running

Medical Definition

leg

noun
: a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking: as
a
: either of the two lower human limbs that extend from the top of the thigh to the foot and especially the part between the knee and the ankle
b
: any of the rather generalized segmental appendages of an arthropod used in walking and crawling

Legal Definition

leg

abbreviation
1
legal
2
legislative, legislature

More from Merriam-Webster on leg

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