leg

See also: lég, lèg, -leg, leg-, leg., lęg, and łęg

English

Etymology 1

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”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(ǝ)lak-, *lēk- (“leg; the main muscle of the arm or leg”).

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 ‎ (leng). Upon borrowing, mostly displaced the native Old English term sċanca (Modern English shank).

Picture dictionary

leg

knee

ankle

knee

ankle

hip

thigh

knee

calf

ankle

foot

Click on labels in the image

Pronunciation

(UK, US) IPA^(key): /lɛɡ/
(some US dialects) IPA^(key): /leɪɡ/[1]
Audio (UK) (file)
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -ɛɡ

Noun

leg (plural legs)

A limb or appendage that an animal uses for support or locomotion on land.
Insects have six legs.
In 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.
(anatomy) The portion of the lower limb of a human that extends from the knee to the ankle.
A part of garment, such as a pair of trousers/pants, that covers a leg.
The left leg of these jeans has a tear.
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
(figurative) Something that supports.
This observation is an important leg of my argument.
A stage of a journey, race etc.
After six days, we're finally in the last leg of our cross-country trip.
(nautical) A distance that a sailing vessel does without changing the sails from one side to the other.
(nautical) One side of a multiple-sided (often triangular) course in a sailing race.
(sports) A single game or match played in a tournament or other sporting contest.
- 2011 November 11, Rory Houston, “Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland”, in RTE Sport‎:
  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.
(geometry) One of the two sides of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse.
(geometry) One of the branches of a hyperbola or other curve which extend outward indefinitely.
(usually in the plural) The ability of something to persist or succeed over a long period of time.
This proposal has no legs. Almost everyone opposes it.
- 2020 February 2, “One is a great guy; the other is good in bed. So who do I choose?”, in The Guardian‎:
  I’m trying to go with my head and focus on the first guy, because this could be a relationship with legs.
(UK, slang, archaic) A disreputable sporting character; a blackleg.
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; called also water leg.
In a grain elevator, the case containing the lower part of the belt which carries the buckets.
(cricket, attributive) Denotes the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman.
Synonym: on; Antonym: off
Ponsonby-Smythe hit a thumping drive through the leg fielders.
(telephony) A branch or lateral circuit connecting an instrument with the main line.
(electrical) A branch circuit; one phase of a polyphase system.
(finance) An underlying instrument of a derivatives strategy.
(US, slang, military) An army soldier assigned to a paratrooper unit who has not yet been qualified as a paratrooper.
- 2019, Elliot Murphy, A Vietnam Story (page 94)
  Which was lower than whale shit in the eyes of any paratrooper; it would have been a disgrace to be a leg.
(archaic) A gesture of submission; a bow or curtsey. Chiefly in phrase make a leg.
- 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; […], OCLC 13631815:
  Hickman came in, making his legs, and stroking his cravat and ruffles.
(journalism) A column, as a unit of length of text as laid out.
- 2015, Homer L. Hall, ‎Megan Fromm, Aaron Manfull, Student Journalism & Media Literacy (page 266)
  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.

Alternative forms

legge (obsolete)

Synonyms

(part of garment that covers a leg): pant leg, pantleg (Canada, US)
(side of a right triangle): cathetus

Derived terms

Terms derived from the noun leg

a leg to stand on
change the leg
foreleg
gateleg
get one's leg over
hind leg
leg break
leg-breaker
leg day
leggy
leg it
legroom
legs eleven
legwork
make a leg
pull someone's leg
shake a leg
show a bit of leg
show a leg
stretch one's legs

Descendants

→ Finnish: legi
→ Hungarian: leg

Translations

See leg/translations § Noun.

Verb

leg (third-person singular simple present legs, present participle legging, simple past and past participle legged)

To remove the legs from an animal carcass.
To build legs onto a platform or stage for support.
To put a series of three or more options strikes into the stock market.
To apply force using the leg (as in 'to leg a horse').

Derived terms

leg it

References

“leg”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Noun

leg (plural not attested)

Alternative spelling of leg.

Adjective

leg (not comparable)

Alternative spelling of leg.

Anagrams

ELG, ElG, gel

Aromanian

Alternative forms

legu

Etymology

From Latin ligō. Compare Romanian lega, leg.

Verb

leg (second-person singular present indicative ledz, third-person singular present indicative leadzi or leadze, second-person plural present indicative ligats, past participle ligatã)

I tie, bind.

Related terms

ligari / ligare
ligat
ligãturã
ligãmintu
dizleg

Danish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlɑjˀ]
Homophone: lej
Rhymes: -aj

Etymology 1

From Old Norse leikr, from Proto-Germanic *laikaz.

Noun

leg c (singular definite legen, plural indefinite lege)

play, game
(zoology) spawning (fish)

Inflection

Declension of leg

common gender	Singular		Plural
common gender	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	leg	legen	lege	legene
genitive	legs	legens	leges	legenes

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

leg

imperative of lege

Dupaningan Agta

Noun

leg

neck; throat

Dutch

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛx/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: leg
Rhymes: -ɛx
Homophone: Leg

Verb

leg

first-person singular present indicative of leggen
imperative of leggen

Anagrams

gel

German

Alternative forms

lege

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /leːk/
Audio (file)

Verb

leg

(colloquial) first-person singular present of legen
singular imperative of legen
(colloquial) first-person singular subjunctive I of legen
(colloquial) third-person singular subjunctive I of legen

Hungarian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlɛɡ]
Hyphenation: leg
Rhymes: -ɛɡ

Etymology 1

Back-formation from leg- (prefix forming superlative adjectives).

Noun

leg (plural legek)

(chiefly in the plural, informal) best, most (record-setting achievement, property or amount)
a labdarúgás legjei ― the best [achievements] of football
a legek legje (singular) ― the best of the best

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	leg	legek
accusative	leget	legeket
dative	legnek	legeknek
instrumental	leggel	legekkel
causal-final	legért	legekért
translative	leggé	legekké
terminative	legig	legekig
essive-formal	legként	legekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	legben	legekben
superessive	legen	legeken
adessive	legnél	legeknél
illative	legbe	legekbe
sublative	legre	legekre
allative	leghez	legekhez
elative	legből	legekből
delative	legről	legekről
ablative	legtől	legektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	legé	legeké
non-attributive possessive - plural	legéi	legekéi

Possessive forms of leg
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	legem	legjeim
2nd person sing.	leged	legjeid
3rd person sing.	legje	legjei
1st person plural	legünk	legjeink
2nd person plural	legetek	legjeitek
3rd person plural	legjük	legjeik

Etymology 2

From English leg (“single game or match played in a tournament”).

Noun

leg (plural legek)

(darts) leg (single game played in darts)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	leg	legek
accusative	leget	legeket
dative	legnek	legeknek
instrumental	leggel	legekkel
causal-final	legért	legekért
translative	leggé	legekké
terminative	legig	legekig
essive-formal	legként	legekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	legben	legekben
superessive	legen	legeken
adessive	legnél	legeknél
illative	legbe	legekbe
sublative	legre	legekre
allative	leghez	legekhez
elative	legből	legekből
delative	legről	legekről
ablative	legtől	legektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	legé	legeké
non-attributive possessive - plural	legéi	legekéi

Possessive forms of leg
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	legem	legjeim
2nd person sing.	leged	legjeid
3rd person sing.	legje	legjei
1st person plural	legünk	legjeink
2nd person plural	legetek	legjeitek
3rd person plural	legjük	legjeik

Icelandic

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛːɣ/
Rhymes: -ɛːɣ

Noun

leg n (genitive singular legs, nominative plural leg)

uterus

Declension

declension of leg

	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
n-s	singular		plural
nominative	leg	legið	leg	legin
accusative	leg	legið	leg	legin
dative	legi	leginu	legum	legunum
genitive	legs	legsins	lega	leganna

Derived terms

leggöng
legháls
leghálssýking
legnám

Lombard

Etymology 1

Akin to Italian legge, from Latin lex.

Noun

leg

law

Etymology 2

Akin to Italian leggere, from Latin legere.

Verb

leg

to read

Middle English

Alternative forms

legge, leggue, leige, lige

Etymology

From Old Norse leggr, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛɡ/

Noun

leg (plural legges)

leg, limb
shank, shin
leg (cut of meat)
leg armour
The stem of a wine glass

Descendants

English: leg
- → Finnish: legi
- → Hungarian: leg
Scots: leg

References

“leg, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-05.

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

leg

imperative of lege

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-.

Noun

leg n

burial place

Declension

Declension of leg (strong a-stem)

neuter	singular		plural
neuter	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	leg	legit	leg	legin
accusative	leg	legit	leg	legin
dative	legi	leginu	legum	legunum
genitive	legs	legsins	lega	leganna

Derived terms

legkaup n (“burial fee”)
legstaðr m (“burial place”)
legsteinn m (“tombstone”)

References

“leg”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Polish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɛk/
Rhymes: -ɛk
Syllabification: leg
Homophones: lek, Lek

Noun

leg

genitive plural of lega

Romanian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [leɡ]

Verb

leg

first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of lega

Swedish

Alternative forms

legg

Adjective

leg

certified, authorized; indicating an authorized medical doctor, not a quack. Abbreviation of legitimerad.

Noun

leg n

(colloquial) an ID card or other means of identification showing the owner's age; an ID; abbreviation of legitimation.
Jag fick visa leg på systemet.
I was carded at Systembolaget.

Declension

Declension of leg
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	leg	legget	leg	leggen
Genitive	legs	leggets	legs	leggens

Derived terms

falskleg (“fake ID”)

Anagrams

elg

Torres Strait Creole

Etymology

From English leg.

Noun

leg

lower leg, foot

Synonyms

ngar (western dialect)

Westrobothnian

Etymology

From Old Norse leg.

Noun

leg n (definite leje, dative lejen)

afterbirth from calving

Synonyms

ättföring f
li n

[1] “leg”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

leg

English

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Alternative forms

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

See also

Verb

Derived terms

References

Noun

Adjective

Further reading

Anagrams

Aromanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Verb

Related terms

See also

Danish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Inflection

Etymology 2

Verb

Dupaningan Agta

Noun

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

Anagrams

German

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Verb

Hungarian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Declension

Etymology 2

Noun

Declension

Icelandic

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Lombard

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Verb

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Descendants

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

Old Norse

Etymology

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

References

Polish

Pronunciation

Noun

Romanian

Pronunciation

Verb