ENGLISH
REFERENCE

leg

n. · v.
US //ˈɫɛɡ// UK //lˈɛɡ// leg
  1. 1 body part (n.)
    A1 Beginner Medicine

    one of the parts of the body that a person or animal uses for standing and walking.

    the lower limb of a human or the appendage of an animal used for support and locomotion.

    Example

    He fell off his bike and hurt his left leg quite badly.

    Example

    The surgeon explained that the fracture in the lower leg would require several months of physical therapy to regain full mobility.
  2. 2 furniture support (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a long, thin part under a piece of furniture, like a table or chair, that holds it up.

    a vertical member providing structural support for an object such as a table, chair, or bed.

    Example

    One leg of the kitchen table is shorter than the others, so it wobbles.

    Example

    The antique desk featured elegantly carved legs that reflected the ornate style of the late eighteenth century.
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  1. 3 part of a journey (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    one stage or part of a long trip or race.

    a distinct segment of a journey, race, or multi-stage process.

    Example

    The first leg of our flight takes us from London to Dubai.

    Example

    After completing the final leg of the marathon, the exhausted runners were greeted by a cheering crowd at the finish line.
  2. 4 clothing (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the part of a pair of trousers or pants that covers your leg.

    the portion of a garment designed to enclose the wearer's leg.

    Example

    The legs of these jeans are a bit too long for me.

    Example

    The tailor suggested tapering the trouser legs to create a more modern, slim-fitting silhouette for the suit.

  3. 5 sports match (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    one game in a series of games between two teams.

    one of two or more matches played between the same opponents to determine an overall winner.

    Example

    They won the first leg of the semi-final two-nil at home.

    Example

    Despite losing the away leg, the team managed to advance to the finals based on their superior aggregate score from the home match.
  4. 6 staying power (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    the ability of an idea, a film, or a story to stay popular for a long time.

    the capacity of a product, idea, or creative work to endure or remain successful over time.

    Example

    Critics didn't like the movie at first, but it had legs and became a hit.

    Example

    The marketing team was surprised to find that the viral campaign had legs, continuing to generate engagement months after the initial launch.
  5. 7 geometry (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    one of the shorter sides of a right-angled triangle.

    either of the two sides of a right triangle that meet at the right angle.

    Example

    To find the long side of the triangle, you must first square the length of each leg.

    Example

    In a right-angled triangle, the sum of the squares of the two legs is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.
    • hypotenuse
  6. 8 betting (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Gambling

    one single bet that is part of a larger group of bets.

    an individual component or selection within a parlay or multi-bet strategy.

    Example

    I won the first three bets, but the last leg of my parlay lost.

    Example

    The gambler's potential payout was ruined when the final leg of his four-team accumulator failed to result in a victory.
  7. 9 to travel quickly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Informal

    to walk or run somewhere quickly, especially when you are in a hurry.

    to travel on foot with speed or effort; often used in the phrase 'leg it'.

    Example

    We had to leg it to the station to catch the last train.

    Example

    Seeing the security guard approaching, the teenagers decided to leg it across the park before they could be questioned.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the phrasal idiom 'leg it' to mean running away or hurridiculously fast.
Origin

From Middle English leg, legge, from Old Norse leggr (“leg, calf, bone of the arm or leg, hollow tube, stalk”), from Proto-Germanic lagjaz, lagwijaz (“leg, thigh”) (see it for more). Cognate with Scots leg (“leg”), Icelandic leggur (“leg, limb”), Norwegian Bokmål legg (“leg”), Norwegian Nynorsk legg (“leg”), Swedish lägg (“leg, shank, shaft”), Danish læg (“leg”), Lombardic lagi (“thigh, shank, leg”), Latin lacertus (“limb, arm”), Persian لنگ (leng). Upon borrowing, mostly displaced the native Old English term sċanca (Modern English shank).

Word family
Idioms12 entries

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