leg
/leɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /leɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈleg also ˈlāg/ (ame, mw)
leg — noun
- legsingular
- legsplural
1. each of the two limbs on a person or animal that go from the hips or upper body
each of the two limbs on a person or animal that go from the hips or upper body down to the ground and are used for walking, running, and standing up.
David broke his leg during a football match and had to use crutches for two months.
collocation: break your leg
The dog injured its front leg when it jumped off the wall.
Jiwoo crossed her legs and sat down on the yoga mat.
Aylin felt a sharp pain in her right leg after running ten kilometres.
- limb
more general or technical; includes arms and legs
- lower limb
formal medical term for the leg
- arm
the upper limb of the body
用法筆記
In everyday English, 'leg' usually refers to the whole limb from the hip to the foot. In medical contexts, it may refer only to the part between the knee and the ankle.
常見錯誤
2. the long fabric section of trousers, jeans, or boots that wraps around a person'
the long fabric section of trousers, jeans, or boots that wraps around a person's leg from the hip down.
Rodrigo bought trousers with wide legs because he prefers a loose fit.
One of her jeans had a tear in the left leg near the knee.
collocation: left/right leg of clothing
The tailor shortened the legs of the suit trousers by five centimetres.
Aylin rolled up her right trouser leg to show the doctor her swollen ankle.
用法筆記
This sense always refers to a part of clothing, not a body part. The plural 'legs' can mean both legs of a pair of trousers.
3. any of the vertical supports attached beneath desks, beds, cabinets, or other fu
any of the vertical supports attached beneath desks, beds, cabinets, or other furniture that lift it off the floor and keep it steady.
One of the chair legs is shorter than the others, so it wobbles when you sit on it.
We glued the broken table leg back into place and let the glue dry overnight.
collocation: table leg / chair leg
Nellie placed small felt pads under each bed leg so the floor would not get scratched.
Eitan kicked the desk leg by accident and yelled in pain.
4. one part or section of a long journey, a race, a competition, or a process that
one part or section of a long journey, a race, a competition, or a process that has several stages.
The final leg of the bus journey took us through a narrow mountain pass.
collocation: final/first/next leg of a journey
Tunde ran the fastest time in the third leg of the relay race.
After two legs of the competition, the Korean team was in the lead by twelve points.
The first leg of our trip took us from Taipei to Tokyo by plane.
5. in cricket, the area of the pitch on the side where the person holding the bat s
in cricket, the area of the pitch on the side where the person holding the bat stands when facing the bowler, located behind the batter's body.
The bowler aimed a fast ball towards the leg side to test the batsman's timing.
Nikhil fielded at leg slip for most of the afternoon session.
cricket field position: leg slip
The fielder ran quickly towards the leg boundary to stop the ball.
The captain placed three fielders on the leg side to catch the ball.
- off side
the opposite side of the cricket field
用法筆記
This term is specific to cricket. The opposite side is called the 'off side'. For a right-handed batter, the leg side is on the left.
6. an animal's leg, especially the upper part of a chicken, turkey, or lamb, cooked
an animal's leg, especially the upper part of a chicken, turkey, or lamb, cooked and eaten as a meal.
Brooke ordered roast chicken leg with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
collocation: chicken leg / turkey leg / lamb leg
Putri marinated the lamb legs in yoghurt and spices before putting them in the oven.
The children each ate a whole turkey leg at the Thanksgiving dinner.
David grilled chicken legs over charcoal and served them with salad.
用法筆記
When referring to food, 'leg' usually means the meat from the upper part of the leg. For birds, 'drumstick' refers to the lower part of the leg, and 'thigh' refers to the upper part.
7. one of the branches or arms of a forked object, such as a pair of compasses, a Y
one of the branches or arms of a forked object, such as a pair of compasses, a Y-shaped pipe, or a dividing path.
The two legs of the pipeline carry water in different directions across the valley.
Henrik opened the legs of the compass wide enough to draw a twenty-centimetre circle.
collocation: legs of a compass
The metal frame splits into two curved legs that support the entire structure.
The road splits into two legs just past the old church on the hill.
leg — verb
- legpresent simple I / you / we / they
- legs3rd person singular
- legging-ing form
- leggedpast simple
1. to run away quickly, especially to escape from a dangerous situation or someone
to run away quickly, especially to escape from a dangerous situation or someone who is chasing you.
When the security guard shouted, the teenagers legged it down the street.
phrasal verb: leg it
David saw the angry dog and decided to leg it across the park as fast as he could.
The boys legged it when the farmer spotted them in the apple orchard.
As soon as the rain started, everyone legged it towards the bus shelter.
Élise legged it out of the building the moment the fire alarm went off.
文法句型
leg it
用法筆記
This phrasal verb always takes 'it' as a fixed object: 'leg it'. It is informal and common in British English but less common in American English.
常見錯誤
leg — adverb
1. a written abbreviation for 'legato', meaning that musical notes should be played
a written abbreviation for 'legato', meaning that musical notes should be played or sung in a smooth, connected way.
The sheet music was marked 'leg.' which meant the pianist had to play the passage smoothly.
abbreviation: leg. for legato
The clarinet section played their notes 'leg.' as instructed, keeping each tone connected.
Jiwoo saw 'leg.' written above the scale and remembered to hold each note into the next.
The conductor asked for 'leg.' playing from the strings, so the violins drew long bows.
用法筆記
This abbreviation appears in musical scores. The full term 'legato' is more common in written instructions.
leg — abbreviation
1. a written abbreviation for 'legal', used in official documents, forms, and short
a written abbreviation for 'legal', used in official documents, forms, and short notes.
The envelope was marked 'leg. department' and sent to the company's legal office.
abbreviation: leg. for legal
The form had a box for 'leg. name' where we entered the name of our lawyer.
Nikhil noted 'leg. fees' on the invoice to separate legal costs from other charges.
The contract referred to the 'leg. owner' of the property in several clauses.
2. a written abbreviation for 'legato', meaning smooth and connected playing of mus
a written abbreviation for 'legato', meaning smooth and connected playing of musical notes.
The composer wrote 'leg.' above the violin melody to indicate a flowing, connected sound.
abbreviation: leg. for legato
The choir director marked the hymn as 'leg.' to keep the voices smooth and joined.
In the flute part, 'leg.' appeared wherever a gentle, sliding feel was needed.
Putri practiced the 'leg.' section slowly, trying not to break the line of sound.
3. a written abbreviation for 'legislative' or 'legislature', used in political and
a written abbreviation for 'legislative' or 'legislature', used in political and government contexts.
The new bill was sent to the leg. committee for review before the final vote.
abbreviation: leg. for legislative/legislature
The local leg. office announced new rules about waste collection in the city.
Henrik watched a live broadcast of the leg. debate on educational funding.
The newspaper listed the current members of the state leg. for each district.