leg
/leɪɡ/
The primary image is a vertical pillar of support, whether biological, mechanical, or metaphorical. It evokes stability, weight-bearing, and the physical mechanism of movement.
When applied to furniture, it carries a sense of structural necessity; a "missing leg" implies instability. In the context of travel or racing, it shifts from a physical object to a segment of time or distance, representing a discrete chapter of a larger process.
As a verb, particularly in British English slang ("leg it"), the connotation shifts toward urgency or desperation—either struggling through pain or fleeing quickly.
💬Casual Conversation
This new art history textbook costs an arm and a leg.
This new art history textbook costs an arm and a leg.
Sounds like a skill issue, sis.
Sounds like a skill issue, sis.
Meanings
Examples
The antique desk has beautifully carved legs.
Collocations & Compounds
human leg
The limb of the human body used for walking and standing.
Phrasal Verbs
Idioms & Sayings
break a leg
A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.
on its last leg
Near the end of its life or usefulness; failing.
pull someone's leg
To tease or trick someone in a playful way.
have legs
To have the potential to become popular or successful over time.
Etymology
The word 'leg' comes from the Old Norse word 'leggr', which referred to the limb of the body. It entered Middle English in the 13th century, likely replacing the Old English term 'scanca'. Its Proto-Germanic root is 'leg-', meaning 'to lie, lay'. Over time, 'leg' also came to mean a section of a journey or a support for furniture.