leg

  Click for audio.

We use our legs for standing, walking, swimming, kicking, and running.

There are many different ways to talk about a person’s legs. This word has both literal (actual) and figurative (symbolic) meanings.

• Tom’s got strong legs. (Tom’s = Tom has)
• Sarah’s got nice legs. (This is often said of a woman whose legs have a nice shape.)
• I’ve got a cramp in my leg from running.
• Zebediah’s legs gave out from underneath him after he finished the marathon. (legs give out = fall)
• When lifting something heavy, don’t lift with your back. Lift with your legs.
• After a long illness it’s important to get back on your legs.
• Sheila’s dress shows a lot of leg. (By design, the dress reveals her legs.)

The word "leg" is also used for things that aren’t human legs, but function in the same manner as a leg.

• A table has four legs.
• Chairs also have four legs.
• A stool might have three legs.
• Golf courses have fairways that are laid out in the shape of a dog leg.
• A rally in the stock market has legs if it still has some strength and momentum.
• A company that doesn’t have a leg to stand on lacks capital, or it lost all of its financial support.
• The last leg of a tour or a race is the last stage or the last part.
• In a three-legged race, pairs of contestants each have one leg tied to that of a partner.

Click here to learn more vocabulary.

Date of publication: December 18, 2016