LEG

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does leg mean? 

• LEG (noun)
  The noun LEG has 9 senses:

1. a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle

2. a structure in animals that is similar to a human leg and used for locomotion

3. one of the supports for a piece of furniture

4. a part of a forked or branching shape

5. the limb of an animal used for food

6. a prosthesis that replaces a missing leg

7. a cloth covering consisting of the part of a pair of trousers that covers a person's leg

8. (nautical) the distance traveled by a sailing vessel on a single tack

9. a section or portion of a journey or course

  Familiarity information: LEG used as a noun is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

limb (one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper)

Meronyms (parts of "leg"):

tibial vein; vena tibialis (veins of the lower leg; empty into the popliteal vein)

genu valgum; knock-knee; tibia valga (an inward slant of the thigh)

shin; shin bone; shinbone; tibia (the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle)

calf bone; fibula (the outer and thinner of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle)

leg bone (a bone of the leg)

musculus tibialis; tibialis; tibialis muscle (either of two skeletal muscle in each leg arising from the tibia; provides for movement of the foot)

ankle; ankle joint; articulatio talocruralis; mortise joint (a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus)

articulatio genus; genu; human knee; knee; knee joint (hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella)

nervus saphenus; saphenous nerve (a branch of the femoral nerve that supplies cutaneous branches to the inner aspect of the leg and foot)

foot; human foot; pes (the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint)

shin (the front part of the human leg between the knee and the ankle)

shank (the part of the human leg between the knee and the ankle)

thigh (the part of the leg between the hip and the knee)

fibular vein; peroneal vein; vena peroneus (accompany the peroneal arteries; arising in the heel and running up the back of the leg to join the posterior tibial veins of the popliteal vein)

saphenous vein; vena saphena (either of two chief superficial veins of the leg that drain blood from the foot)

crus (the leg from the knee to foot)

nervus ischiadicus; sciatic nerve (arises from the sacral plexus and passes about halfway down the thigh where it divides into the common peroneal and tibial nerves)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

peg; pin; stick (informal terms for the leg)

bandy leg; bandyleg; bow leg; bowleg; genu varum; tibia vara (a leg bowed outward at the knee (or below the knee))

shank's mare; shank's pony; shanks' mare; shanks' pony (you own legs)

spindlelegs; spindleshanks (long thin legs)

Holonyms ("leg" is a part of...):

body; organic structure (the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being))

Derivation:

leggy (having long legs)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A structure in animals that is similar to a human leg and used for locomotion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

limb (one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper)

Meronyms (parts of "leg"):

pedal extremity; vertebrate foot (the extremity of the limb in vertebrates)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

prehensor (the anterior pair of legs of a centipede that are modified to seize prey and inject venom from the toxicognaths)

animal leg (the leg of an animal)

Derivation:

leggy (having long legs)

Sense 3

Meaning:

One of the supports for a piece of furniture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

support (any device that bears the weight of another thing)

Holonyms ("leg" is a part of...):

hospital bed (a single bed with a frame in three sections so the head or middle or foot can be raised as required)

tripod (a three-legged rack used for support)

table (a piece of furniture having a smooth flat top that is usually supported by one or more vertical legs)

spinning wheel (a small domestic spinning machine with a single spindle that is driven by hand or foot)

grand; grand piano (a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame; usually supported by three legs)

four-poster (a bed with posts at the four corners that can be used to support a canopy or curtains)

camp bed; cot (a small bed that folds up for storage or transport)

chair (a seat for one person, with a support for the back)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A part of a forked or branching shape

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

branch; leg; ramification

Context example:

he broke off one of the branches

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

subfigure (a figure that is a part of another figure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

bifurcation (a bifurcating branch (one or both of them))

brachium ((biology) a branching or armlike part of an animal)

crotch; fork (the region of the angle formed by the junction of two branches)

Holonyms ("leg" is a part of...):

forking; furcation (the place where something divides into branches)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The limb of an animal used for food

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

cut; cut of meat (a piece of meat that has been cut from an animal carcass)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

ham hock (a small cut of meat from the leg just above the foot)

gigot; leg of lamb (lamb leg suitable for roasting)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A prosthesis that replaces a missing leg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

leg; peg; pegleg; wooden leg

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

prosthesis; prosthetic device (corrective consisting of a replacement for a part of the body)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A cloth covering consisting of the part of a pair of trousers that covers a person's leg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

cloth covering (a covering made of cloth)

Meronyms (parts of "leg"):

cuff; turnup (the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg)

foot (a support resembling a pedal extremity)

knee (the part of a trouser leg that provides the cloth covering for the knee)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

pant leg; trouser leg (the leg of a pair of trousers)

Holonyms ("leg" is a part of...):

pair of trousers; pant; trousers ((usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately)

Derivation:

leggy (having long legs)

Sense 8

Meaning:

(nautical) the distance traveled by a sailing vessel on a single tack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

distance; length (size of the gap between two places)

Domain category:

navigation; sailing; seafaring (the work of a sailor)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A section or portion of a journey or course

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

leg; stage

Context example:

then we embarked on the second stage of our Caribbean cruise

Hypernyms ("leg" is a kind of...):

travel; traveling; travelling (the act of going from one place to another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leg"):

fare-stage (a section along the route of a bus for which the fare is the same)

Holonyms ("leg" is a part of...):

journey; journeying (the act of traveling from one place to another)

 Context examples 

As it was, it made me quite squeamish, though this nausea might have been due to the pain of my leg and exhaustion.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Symptoms include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected leg and foot.

(Ankle Fracture, NCI Thesaurus)

If you are missing an arm or leg, an artificial limb can sometimes replace it.

(Artificial Limbs, NIH)

My legs are not so quick to run as once; and I am not used to ride so long or to pursue as need be, or to fight with lethal weapons.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Signs and symptoms include hypertension, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, headaches and leg cramps.

(Aortic Coarctation, NCI Thesaurus)

Symptoms include marked discomfort, swelling and difficulty moving the affected leg and foot.

(Ankle Fracture, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

Regional anesthetics cause a loss of feeling in a part of the body, such as an arm or leg.

(Anesthetic, NCI Dictionary)

Regional anesthesia: blocks pain in an area of the body, such an arm or leg. Epidural anesthesia, which is sometimes used during childbirth, is a type of regional anesthesia.

(Anesthesia, NIH)

The man pulled out his watch, the while resting his weight on one leg.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

These neurons transmit messages from your brain and spinal cord to your voluntary muscles - the ones you can control, like in your arms and legs.

(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)