leg
noun
\ ˈleg also ˈlāg
\
\
Definition of leg
(Entry 1 of 3)
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
2a
: 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
3a
: 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
5
: a side of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse
also
: a side of an isosceles triangle that is not the base
6a
: 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
a leg to stand on
on one's last legs
: support
especially
: a basis for one's position in a controversy
: at or near the end of one's resources : on the verge of failure, exhaustion, or ruin
leg
verb
legged;
legging
Definition of leg (Entry 2 of 3)
: to use the legs in walking
especially
: run
leg
abbreviationDefinition of leg (Entry 3 of 3)
1
legal
2
legato
3
legislative; legislature
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Other Words from leg
Noun
legless
\ ˈleg-ləs
also ˈlāg- \
adjective
also ˈlāg- \
adjective
a legless chair
legless lizards
leglike
or leg-like
adjective
leglike appendages
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
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
One of the most common positions to deliver a baby is to have the woman crouching on the legs of another woman who is holding her. — Washington Post, "A child raised by many mothers: What we can learn about parenthood from an indigenous group in Brazil," 6 Sep. 2019 Foster and his Social House bandmate Scootie Anderson have been on tour with Ariana, who is currently on the European leg of her Sweetener Tour. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE.com, "Ariana Grande Is Still 'Very Much Single' Says Brother Frankie, Despite Their Double Date," 6 Sep. 2019 Hope for a resurgence in 2019 rests on the powerful legs of Kerryon Johnson, Detroit’s expected featured running back, paired with the defensive prowess of Matt Patricia and an improved roster. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "NFC preview: Will new coaching staff propel Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay back to title chase?," 5 Sep. 2019 Leading 3-0 from the first leg of their semi final tie, progression to the final looked all-but assured until a stunning 4-0 humbling at Anfield left the eventual winners with one of the most dramatic comeback victories in the competition's history. — SI.com, "Luis Suarez Admits to 'Weeks' of Pain Following Liverpool Defeat in Champions League Semi Final," 4 Sep. 2019 Huntington Beach beat Western 48-38 in the first leg of the home-and-home set last season, but the sequel carried a dramatically different tune. — Andrew Turner, Daily Pilot, "Huntington Beach football can’t solve Western," 30 Aug. 2019 More Underground Tunnels The first leg of the Sub-T Challenge took place at the Bruceton Research Center in Pittsburgh earlier this month. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "The Government Needs Your Help Finding Sketchy Underground Tunnels ASAP," 30 Aug. 2019 Northwestern at Stanford: Stanford 20-17 A low-scoring game will be won late on the leg of Stanford kicker Jet Toner. — Los Angeles Times, "The picks are in for Week 1 of college football: USC yes, UCLA no," 29 Aug. 2019 And Bear will hit the road in support of the new album, with the North America leg of their Hold Your Nerve tour kicking off Sept. 12 in Philadelphia. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, "Boy & Bear Celebrate Life With 'Suck On Light': Exclusive Premiere," 29 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Both species have leg bones that make researchers think their feet were more important in swimming than those of modern penguins, or standing upright was not yet as important. — Jack Guy, CNN, "A "monster penguin" as big as a human once lived in New Zealand," 14 Aug. 2019 Both species have leg bones that make researchers think their feet were more important in swimming than those of modern penguins, or that standing upright was not yet as important. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "‘Monster penguin’ as big as a human lived in New Zealand," 14 Aug. 2019 Firefighter Charlie Winter tried it as a shark was biting his daughter’s leg June 2 off North Carolina’s Atlantic Beach. — Mark Price, charlotteobserver, "Is it a good idea to punch a shark in the nose during an attack? Experts weigh in," 4 June 2019 Finishing touches, including nailhead trim and leg colors, can also be selected. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "One Kings Lane is the Answer to Your Custom Furniture Needs," 17 Oct. 2018 Enter: the surprisingly flattering—and simultaneously leg toning—dad sneaker. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Kendall Jenner's Secret For Mile Long Legs Includes a Pair of $1,500 Adidas Sneakers," 24 July 2018 Varicose veins result from inborn vein characteristics, not leg position. — New York Times, "A Small Price for Sitting Pretty," 15 June 2018 Injury update: The Broncos lost senior defensive tackle David Moa and tailback Alexander Mattison, two important starters, to leg injuries in the first half. — Dave Southorn And Rachel Roberts, idahostatesman, "Final: Boise State 41, Utah State 14; Broncos roll as Rypien gets hot," 28 Oct. 2017 Derrick Comby, 28, suffered a gunshot wound to leg. — Justin Madden, cleveland.com, "Akron police looking to identify four possibly connected to fatal bar shooting," 24 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leg.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.