leg

plural legs · alternative legge

1. anatomyA limb or appendage that an animal uses for support or locomotion on land.

   Insects have six legs.

2. anatomyIn humans, the lower limb extending from the groin to the ankle.

   Dan won't be able to come to the party, since he broke his leg last week and is now on crutches.

3. anatomyThe portion of the lower limb of a human that extends from the knee to the ankle.
4. A part of garment, such as a pair of trousers/pants, that covers a leg.

   The left leg of these jeans has a tear.

   Synonyms: pant leg, pantleg

5. A rod-like protrusion from an inanimate object, such as a piece of furniture, supporting it from underneath.

   the legs of a chair or table

6. figurativelySomething that supports.

   This observation is an important leg of my argument.

7. A stage of a journey, race etc.

   After six days, we're finally in the last leg of our cross-country trip.

   1 more example

   They were travelling on the last leg of a trip which was supposed to end in Hawaii.

   2026 July 28, Nicholas Muhoro, “The Open Water True Story: How Tom and Eileen Lonergan Were Left Behind at Sea”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 29 Jul 2026

8. nauticalA distance that a sailing vessel does without changing the sails from one side to the other.
9. nauticalOne side of a multiple-sided (often triangular) course in a sailing race.
10. hobbiesA single game or match played in a tournament or other sporting contest.

    A stunning performance from the Republic of Ireland all but sealed progress to Euro 2012 as they crushed nine-man Estonia 4-0 in the first leg of the qualifying play-off tie in A Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.

    2011 November 11, Rory Houston, “Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland”, in RTE Sport

11. geometryOne of the two sides of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse.

    Synonyms: cathetus

12. geometryOne of the two equal sides of an isosceles triangle.
13. geometryOne of the branches of a hyperbola or other curve which extend outward indefinitely.
14. plural normallyThe ability of something to persist or succeed over a long period of time.

    This proposal has no legs. Almost everyone opposes it.

    1 more example

    I’m trying to go with my head and focus on the first guy, because this could be a relationship with legs.

    2020 February 2, “One is a great guy; the other is good in bed. So who do I choose?”, in The Guardian

15. UKarchaicslangA disreputable sporting character; a blackleg.
16. An extension of a steam boiler downward, in the form of a narrow space between vertical plates, sometimes nearly surrounding the furnace and ash pit, and serving to support the boiler.

    Synonyms: water leg

17. In a grain elevator, the case containing the lower part of the belt which carries the buckets.
18. attributiveball gamesDenotes the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman.

    ;

    1 more example

    Ponsonby-Smythe hit a thumping drive through the leg fielders.

    Synonyms: on · Antonyms: off

19. communicationsA branch or lateral circuit connecting an instrument with the main line.
20. businessA branch circuit; one phase of a polyphase system.
21. businessAn underlying instrument of a derivatives strategy.
22. USslanggovernmentAn army soldier assigned to a paratrooper unit who has not yet been qualified as a paratrooper.

    Which was lower than whale shit in the eyes of any paratrooper; it would have been a disgrace to be a leg.

    2019, Elliot Murphy, A Vietnam Story, page 94

23. archaicA gesture of submission; a bow or curtsey. Chiefly in phrase make a leg.

    Hickman came in, making his legs, and stroking his cravat and ruffles.

    1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXIV”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC

24. journalismA column, as a unit of length of text as laid out.

    A leg is one column of a story. It has two legs if it is set in two columns and three legs if it is set in three columns. Avoid legs longer than 10 inches and shorter than 1 inch.

    2015, Homer L. Hall, Megan Fromm, Aaron Manfull, Student Journalism & Media Literacy, page 266

25. Synonym of leg up (“forming a step for a person's feet with one's hands”).

    The street was deserted. We acted quickly. Josiah gave me a leg. I threw my jacket over the broken glass […]

    1902, The Idler: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine, volume 21, page 737

    Synonyms: leg up

26. gamblingAn individual bet in a parlay (a series of bets where the stake and winnings are cumulatively carried forward).

    If one leg from your 2-way parlay pushes and the other wins, your parlay bet wins and is paid off as if it's a straight bet (paying -110 or whatever the odds were).

    2020, Swain Scheps, Sports Betting For Dummies, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., →ISBN, page 265

27. archaicslangSynonym of blackleg (“a gambling cheat”).

    Synonyms: blackleg

present singular third person legs · participle present legging · participle past legged · past legged

1. To remove the legs from an animal carcass.
2. To build legs onto a platform or stage for support.
3. To put a series of three or more options strikes into the stock market.
4. To apply force using the leg (as in 'to leg a horse').
5. To thrust up or raise via the legs; to give a leg-up to.

   I was led along to a big lanky thing, and with my heart thumping I was legged on to his back.

   1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 31

1. alternativeno pluralAlternative spelling of leg..

1. alternativenot comparableAlternative spelling of leg..