leg

LEG/lɛɡ/

Plurallegs

28 meanings of leg

Practice

1
whole human limbnouncountable
One of the long parts of the body that a person or animal uses to stand and walk.
She broke her leg when she fell off the ladder.
Runners stretch their legs before a race.
UsagePull someone's leg means joke with them.
2
journey stagenouncountable
One part of a trip, race, or course, such as one stretch of a sailing race.
The first leg of the trip took us across the desert.
We finished the last two legs by train.
UsageSay the last leg of a trip.
Similarstage, section, stretch, part
3
furniture supportnouncountable
A long support that holds up furniture like a table or chair.
One leg of the table was shorter than the others.
The chair wobbled because two of its legs were loose.
UsageSay table leg or chair leg.
Similarsupport
4
nouncountable
An animal's or bird's leg cooked and eaten as meat, or a piece of meat cut from it.
We're having a roast leg of lamb for Sunday dinner.
The kids always fight over the chicken legs.
UsageSay leg of lamb but chicken legs.
Note
5
part of pantsnouncountable
The part of pants that covers one leg.
He rolled up one leg of his jeans.
Both legs of the pants were covered in mud.
6
one matchnouncountable
One game or match in a larger competition.
Our team won the first leg of the cup tie.
They lost both legs of the semifinal.
UsageSay the first leg of a cup tie.
Similarmatch, game
Note
7
noun
The strength and energy to keep walking, running, or playing, especially in sports.
The coach brought on fresh legs for the last twenty minutes.
Near the end of the race, she still had the legs to sprint past everyone.
UsageSay a team needs fresh legs.
Similarstamina, energy
Note
8
knee to anklenouncountable
The part of your leg between your knee and your ankle.
In anatomy, the thigh is above the knee and the leg is below it.
The shin bone is the larger of the two bones in the leg.
Note

Less common meanings

9
staying powernoun
The power of something to keep going or stay popular for a long time.
Like a spinning top that keeps going long after the first push.
Everyone was surprised the show had such long legs.
The joke had legs and kept spreading for months.
UsageSay an idea has legs.
Similarlongevity, durability, stamina, endurance
10
mainstaynounfigurativelycountable
One of the main things that holds something up or keeps it going.
Like a table that needs all its supports or it tips over.
Farming is one leg of the town's economy.
These three programs are the legs that hold up the whole plan.
Similarpillar, mainstay, cornerstone, prop
11
nouncountable
One of the long, thin arms of an object that splits in two or bends, like a compass or a tuning fork.
Put the sharp leg of the compass in the middle of the paper.
The two legs of the tuning fork shake very fast when you tap it.
Similararm, branch, prong
Note
12
right-angle sidenouncountable
In math, one of the two sides of a triangle that meet at the right angle or are equal.
Each leg of the right triangle was three inches long.
Measure both legs before finding the longest side.
Note
13
single betnouncountable
One single bet that is part of a bigger combined bet.
His parlay lost when the last leg didn't win.
All four legs of the bet came in.
Similarselection
Note
14
cricketnoununcountablebefore a noun
In cricket, the side of the field on the same side as the batter's legs.
He turned the ball away to leg.
The fielders moved over to the leg side.
Similaron
Oppositeoff
Note
15
boost upnouncountable
A boost you give by linking your hands so someone can step up.
Can you give me a leg up onto the wall?
My brother gave me a leg up so I could reach the branch.
UsageSay give me a leg up.
Similarboost, lift
Note
16
add supportsverbtransitive
To add legs to a platform or stage so that it stands up.
Like adding legs to a tabletop so it can stand on its own.
The crew will leg the stage before the concert begins.
They legged the platform so it could hold the heavy equipment.
17
trade partnouncountable
One of the separate trades that together make up a bigger trading plan.
Like one ingredient in a dish that needs several to work.
The trader closed one leg of the deal but kept the other open.
Her options trade had two parts, and the first leg made money.
Similarcomponent
Note
18
urge a horseverbtransitive
To press or push with the leg, as a rider does to guide a horse.
Like a gentle nudge with your foot to get someone moving.
The rider legged her horse forward through the deep mud.
Gently leg your pony on when he starts to slow down.
Similarurge, push
19
trade in stepsverbtransitive
To make the trades of one bigger trading plan one at a time, instead of all at once.
Like building something one piece at a time instead of all at once.
He likes to leg into a spread, one trade at a time.
She legged out of her spread by closing one part first.
Note
20
cut off limbsverbtransitive
To cut the legs off the body of a dead animal.
21
curve branchnouncountable
One of the two arms of a curve like a hyperbola that keep stretching out without end.
Like the two arms of a wide letter V that keep getting farther apart.
Each leg of the hyperbola stretches farther from the center as you follow the curve.
The two legs of the curve never quite touch the straight lines beside them.
Similarbranch, arm
Note
22
power phasenouncountable
One branch of an electric circuit, or one of the separate power lines in a supply such as three-phase power.
Like one of three lanes carrying traffic side by side.
The electrician measured the voltage on each leg of the supply.
One leg of the three-phase system had lost power.
Similarphase, branch
Note
23
text columnnouncountable
A column of printed text, used to measure how long an article is.
The editor cut the story down to two legs to fit the page.
This article runs a full leg on the front page.
Similarcolumn
Note
24
ground soldiernounslangUScountable
A rude name paratroopers use for a soldier who is not trained to jump by parachute.
Like a new player on a team who hasn't played a real game yet.
The sergeant paired each leg with a qualified jumper for the first week.
Several legs in the company were still waiting for a spot at jump school.
Note
25
bownounarchaic
A bow or curtsey made to show respect, especially in the old phrase make a leg.
Hickman came in, making his legs, and stroking his cravat and ruffles.
1748, [Samuel Richardson], ClarissaHere, legs means bows made to show respect.
Note
26
swindlernounarchaicUK
A dishonest person who cheats at betting and sports.
Note
27
boiler partnouncountable
A narrow space at the bottom of a steam boiler, between metal plates, that holds water and helps support the boiler.
Like a narrow water-filled pocket built into the bottom of a tank.
Workers cleaned out the leg below the boiler to remove built-up sludge.
In the old steam boiler, water filled the leg around the fire.
28
elevator casingnouncountable
A machine with buckets on a moving belt that lifts grain up, or the case around it.
Like a long covered chute that protects a moving belt inside.
Grain spilled out where the leg of the elevator had cracked.
Workers opened the leg to clear a jam in the buckets.

More uses

leg itto run away fast

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of leg apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old Norse leggr meaning "leg" or "bone," which came into Middle English as leg.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Old Norse leggr was borrowed into Middle English as leg. en.wiktionary.org
Old Norse leggr meant leg. en.wiktionary.org
Old Norse leggr also meant bone. vsnr.org