leg

[[t]le̱g[/t]]

♦♦

legs, legging, legged

1) N-COUNT: usu poss N A person or animal's legs are the long parts of their body that they use to stand on.

He was tapping his walking stick against his leg.

Derived words:

-legged [[t]-legɪd[/t]] COMB in ADJs

Her name was Sheila, a long-legged blonde.

...a large four-legged animal.

2) N-COUNT: usu pl The legs of a pair of trousers are the parts that cover your legs.

He moved on through wet grass that soaked his trouser legs.

3) N-COUNT: n N, N of n A leg of lamb, pork, chicken, or other meat is a piece of meat that consists of the animal's or bird's leg, especially the thigh.

...a chicken leg.

...a leg of mutton.

4) N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft n N, N of n The legs of a table, chair, or other piece of furniture are the parts that rest on the floor and support the furniture's weight.

His ankles were tied to the legs of the chair...

The teak table has fluted legs.

Derived words:

-legged COMB in ADJ-GRADED

...a three-legged stool.

...an ancient Guatemalan bow-legged table.

5) N-COUNT: usu ord N, N of n A leg of a long journey is one part of it, usually between two points where you stop.

The first leg of the journey was by boat to Lake Naivasha in Kenya.

6) N-COUNT A leg of a sports competition is one of a series of games that are played to find an overall winner. [mainly BRIT]

The first round of the cup was decided over two legs...

They will televise both legs of Leeds' European Cup clash with Rangers.

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you leg it, you run very quickly, usually in order to escape from someone. [INFORMAL]

We saw some kids shinning up a drainpipe before legging it clutching a TV and hi-fi...

He was now to be seen legging it across the field.

8) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If you say that something or someone is on their last legs, you mean that the period of time when they were successful or strong is ending. [INFORMAL]

By the mid-1980s, the copper industry in the US was on its last legs.

9) PHRASE: V inflects If you are pulling someone's leg, you are teasing them by telling them something shocking or worrying as a joke. [INFORMAL]

Of course I won't tell them; I was only pulling your leg.

Syn:

joking

10) PHRASE: with brd-neg If you say that someone does not have a leg to stand on, or hasn't got a leg to stand on, you mean that a statement or claim they have made cannot be justified or proved. [INFORMAL]

It's only my word against his, I know. So I don't have a leg to stand on.

11) an arm and a leg → see arm

with your tail between your legs → see tail