Leg Meaning, Examples, and Common Collocations

Meaning 1：lower limb (leg)

leg 🔊

/leɡ/

One of the long parts of the body that people and animals use for standing, walking, and running.

Leg in motion walking forward on paved path showing muscle definition

lower limb 🔊

➕

/ˈloʊər lɪm/

A leg is a long part of the body used for standing, walking, and running, extending from the hip to the foot.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：primary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'legg', related to Old Norse 'leggr' (leg).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 'legg' as a long stick with joints that helps you stand and walk—your leg!

📖 Example

After the long hike, my legs felt like jelly. 🔊 After the long hike, my legs felt like jelly.

🔗 Collocations

break a leg – A theatrical idiom meaning 'good luck'.

leg room – Space for one's legs while sitting.

on one's last legs – Very tired or near collapse.

🔄 Synonyms

limb (n.) – A leg, arm, or wing of a body.

shank (n.) – The lower part of the leg, between the knee and ankle.

lower extremity (n.) – A medical term for the leg and foot.

🚫 Antonyms

arm (n.) – An upper limb of the body, used for reaching and grasping.

wing (n.) – A limb for flight in birds and insects.

🌱 Derivatives

leggy (adj.) – Having long, slender legs.

legless (adj.) – Having no legs; very drunk (informal).

legging (n.) – A tight-fitting garment covering the legs.

📖 Cultural Story

Leg traces back to Old English 'legg', possibly from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to bend'. It appears in idioms like 'break a leg' (theatre superstition) and 'leg up' (assistance).