legging

This term refers to tight-fitting garments that cover the legs, typically made from stretchy fabrics like spandex or lycra. While historically associated with athletic wear or thermal undergarments, they are now widely used as standalone fashion pieces. In modern usage, they are often distinguished from tights by the absence of a waistband that extends over the hips or the lack of a footed end.

Grammatically, this noun is almost exclusively used in the plural form "leggings" because the garment consists of two legs. While the singular "legging" exists technically to describe one side of the pair, it is rarely used in natural conversation unless referring to a specific manufacturing detail or a single damaged piece.