leg

leg
I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse leggr Date: 14th century 1. a limb of an animal used especially for supporting the body and for walking: 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 4. obeisance, bow — used chiefly in the phrase to make a leg 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. plural long-term appeal or interest <
a news story with legs
> • legless adjective II. intransitive verb (legged; legging) Date: 1601 to use the legs in walking; especially run III. abbreviation 1. legal 2. legato 3. legislative; legislature

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Leg — (l[e^]g), n. [Icel. leggr; akin to Dan. l[ae]g calf of the leg, Sw. l[ a]gg.] 1. A limb or member of an animal used for supporting the body, and in running, climbing, and swimming; esp., that part of the limb between the knee and foot. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leg — [leg] n. [ME < ON leggr, a leg, limb < IE base * lek , limb > L lacertus, muscle, lacerta, lizard] 1. one of the parts of the body by means of which animals stand and walk, specif., in human beings, a) one of the lower limbs b) Anat. the …   English World dictionary

  • leg — ► NOUN 1) each of the limbs on which a person or animal moves and stands. 2) a long, thin support or prop, especially of a chair or table. 3) a section of a journey, process, or race. 4) (in sport) each of two or more games or stages constituting …   English terms dictionary

  • leg*/*/*/ — [leg] noun [C] 1) one of the parts of a person s or animal s body to which the feet are attached an exercise to strengthen the leg muscles[/ex] She sat down and crossed her legs.[/ex] 2) the part of a piece of clothing that covers one of your… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • legʷh- —     legʷh     English meaning: light (adj.)     Deutsche Übersetzung: “leicht in Bewegung and Gewicht”, verbal ‘sich leicht, flink bewegen”     Note: nasalized lengʷh     Material: 1. O.Ind. laghu , ved. raghu “rash, hasty, light, small”, compar …   Proto-Indo-European etymological dictionary

  • Leg — * Lêg, er, este, oder Lêge, r, ste, adj. et adv. welches nur in einigen gemeinen Mundarten üblich ist, wo es eigentlich niedrig bedeutet, in welchem Verstande es vorzüglich im Niederdeutschen vorkommt. Das Wasser ist leg, niedrig. Leges Wasser… …   Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart

  • leg-1 —     leg 1     English meaning: to drip, ooze, flow out     Deutsche Übersetzung: “tröpfeln, sickern, zergehen”     Material: Arm. lič ‘swamp, marsh” (*lēgi̯ ü); O.Ir. legaim “löse mich auf, zergehe, schmelze”, fo llega “(die ink) running from”,… …   Proto-Indo-European etymological dictionary

  • leĝ- —     leĝ     English meaning: to gather     Deutsche Übersetzung: “zusammenlesen, sammeln”     Material: Gk. λέγω ‘sammle, lese together, zähle, rede, say”, καταλέγω “verzeichne”, συλλογή ‘sammlung”, ἐκλογή “Auswahl”, λόγος, λέξις “ discourse “,… …   Proto-Indo-European etymological dictionary

  • Leg — (l[e^]g), v. t. To use as a leg, with it as object: (a) To bow. [Obs.] (b) To run. [Low] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leg. — leg. 〈Abk. für ital.〉 legato * * * leg. = ↑ legato. * * * leg. = legato …   Universal-Lexikon

  • leg-up — leg ,up noun singular 1. ) INFORMAL if you give someone a leg up, you help them to make progress, especially in their career 2. ) if you give someone a leg up, you help them climb something by letting them put their foot in your hands and then… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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