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
2
a
: 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
3
a
: 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
6
a
: 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
1
legal
2
legato
3
legislative; legislature
Synonyms
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
Verb
the car was in the shop so we had to leg it to work for a couple of days
Recent Examples on the Web
Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
Compression socks direct more blood from your legs to your GI tract, mitigating the issue, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 5 Nov. 2024
Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Plus, in a particularly clever design move, the pants legs zip together when they’re removed to keep you from losing track of them.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leg 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Dobbins also spied Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, one of the league’s best passers, a player whose arm needed the assistance of others’ legs to fully succeed.
—Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
Compression socks direct more blood from your legs to your GI tract, mitigating the issue, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The dark ride uses a vehicle mechanism in which riders legs dangle below them in order to simulate flying.
—Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Plus, in a particularly clever design move, the pants legs zip together when they’re removed to keep you from losing track of them.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leg
Dictionary Entries Near leg
Cite this Entry
“Leg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leg. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leg
1 of 2 noun1
: a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking and running
also
: the part of a leg of a vertebrate animal between the knee and the foot
2
: something resembling an animal leg in shape or use
legs of a table
3
: the part of an article of clothing that covers the leg
4
: a side of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse
also
: a side of an isosceles triangle that is not the base
5
a
: a portion of a trip : stage
b
: one section of a relay race
leg
2 of 2 verb
legged; legging
: to use the legs in walking or especially in running
Medical Definition
leg
noun
: a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking: as
a
: either of the two lower human limbs that extend from the top of the thigh to the foot and especially the part between the knee and the ankle
b
: any of the rather generalized segmental appendages of an arthropod used in walking and crawling
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share