English Reference

Word

leg

US/ˈɫɛɡ/

UK/lˈɛɡ/

Definitions

01body part

A1 · Beginner Countable noun Medicine

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

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

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

“The surgeon explained that the fracture in the lower leg would require several months of physical therapy to regain full mobility.”

Synonyms

02furniture support

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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

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

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

“The antique desk featured elegantly carved legs that reflected the ornate style of the late eighteenth century.”

03part of a journey

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. one stage or part of a long trip or race.

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

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

“After completing the final leg of the marathon, the exhausted runners were greeted by a cheering crowd at the finish line.”

Synonyms

04clothing

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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

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

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

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

05sports match

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. one game in a series of games between two teams.

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

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

“Despite losing the away leg, the team managed to advance to the finals based on their superior aggregate score from the home match.”

Synonyms

06staying power

C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal

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

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

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

“The marketing team was surprised to find that the viral campaign had legs, continuing to generate engagement months after the initial launch.”

07geometry

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical

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

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

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

“In a right-angled triangle, the sum of the squares of the two legs is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

hypotenuse

08betting

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Gambling Technical

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

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

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

“The gambler's potential payout was ruined when the final leg of his four-team accumulator failed to result in a victory.”

Synonyms

09to travel quickly

B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Informal

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

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

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

“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.

Synonyms

Etymology

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).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

Related words

Idioms

Domains

AnatomyFinanceGamblingMilitaryNauticalSports

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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