legs
legs — noun
1. the two long body parts that people and many animals stand and walk on, reaching
the two long body parts that people and many animals stand and walk on, reaching from the hips down to the feet
After hiking up the steep hill, Dario could barely feel his legs.
subject + can barely feel + POSS legs
Adaeze stretched her legs under the kitchen table while the kettle boiled.
stretch + POSS legs (relaxation)
The newborn calf wobbled on its thin legs for the first few minutes.
Padma crossed her legs and waited quietly outside the principal's office.
Grandma's long walks on the riverside path kept her legs strong well into her eighties.
- limbs
general term covering arms and legs together
- lower limbs
anatomical or medical register
文法句型
two legs
[POSS] legs
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural; the singular 'leg' refers to a single limb but daily descriptions of a person's lower body default to 'legs'.
常見錯誤
2. the two tube-shaped sections of trousers, shorts, or similar clothing that cover
the two tube-shaped sections of trousers, shorts, or similar clothing that cover each lower limb
Ignacio rolled up the legs of his jeans before stepping into the shallow river.
roll up + the legs of + garment
The legs of these wide trousers flap noisily whenever the wind picks up.
the legs of + clothing subject
Mira shortened the legs of the school uniform pants by about three centimetres.
Mud splattered the legs of Owen's white painter overalls during the storm.
- trouser legs
explicit compound, less ambiguous out of context
- pant legs
American everyday word
文法句型
the legs of [garment]
用法筆記
Always plural when the garment has two leg openings (trousers, jeans, shorts). For a single sock or boot, use 'leg' or 'shaft'.
3. the upright pieces under a piece of furniture or other object that hold it up of
the upright pieces under a piece of furniture or other object that hold it up off the floor
One of the legs of the wooden chair had snapped during the move.
one of the legs of + furniture
Kofi screwed the four legs onto the new dining table by himself.
screw on + the legs (assembly verb)
The metal legs of the easel kept slipping on the polished gallery floor.
Felipe wrapped felt pads around the legs of the piano to protect the floor.
文法句型
the legs of [object]
[number] legs
用法筆記
Use 'leg' (singular) when one specific support is in focus; switch to 'legs' for the whole set or when counting (three legs, four legs).
4. the separate sections that together make up a long trip, a race, or a sports tou
the separate sections that together make up a long trip, a race, or a sports tournament — each one starting and ending at a different point
The Tokyo-to-Sydney flight was split into two legs, with a short stop in Manila.
split into + [number] legs
Élise ran the final leg of the relay and crossed the line a metre ahead.
the final leg of + the relay
The Asian legs of the band's world tour sold out within three hours.
Kian planned the road trip carefully so each leg would last under six hours.
Bad weather forced the sailors to cut short the second leg of the race.
文法句型
the [ordinal] leg of [event]
[number] legs
用法筆記
Subject is usually a journey, tour, race, or multi-round competition. Often paired with an ordinal (first leg, final leg) or a region label (European leg, home leg).
常見錯誤
5. in cricket, the half of the field that lies behind a right-handed batter's heels
in cricket, the half of the field that lies behind a right-handed batter's heels — or behind a left-handed batter's toes — when they stand ready to face the bowler
Asher flicked the ball off his hip and sent it racing through the leg side for four.
through the leg side (cricket scoring)
The captain pushed two extra fielders to leg after the batter kept hitting that direction.
push fielders to leg (field placement)
Sahil was caught at deep square leg by a brilliant running catch.
The bowler kept attacking the stumps from around the wicket, denying any easy runs to leg.
- off side
the opposite half of the cricket field
文法句型
on the leg side
to leg
用法筆記
Cricket jargon: 'on the leg side' or 'to leg' is the standard phrasing. Distinguish from sense 1: this never refers to anatomy, only the field half opposite the 'off side'.
6. the quality that lets a story, a product, or a piece of entertainment keep drawi
the quality that lets a story, a product, or a piece of entertainment keep drawing audience interest long after it first appears
Critics agreed the indie film had legs and would stay in cinemas for months.
have legs (sustained popularity)
The corruption scandal turned out to have real legs and dominated news for an entire year.
have real legs (ongoing news story)
Haruto's startup idea had legs because more people wanted lessons every month.
Few pop songs from that decade still have legs, but this one tops the charts again.
- staying power
neutral register; exactly equivalent in meaning
- long-term appeal
more formal phrasing
文法句型
have legs
[noun] has legs
用法筆記
Almost always in the fixed phrase 'have legs' or 'with legs'. Subject is a story, film, product, idea, or trend — not a person. Informal register; common in journalism and entertainment writing.
常見錯誤
legs — verb
1. in British informal speech, to move on foot at high speed in order to get away f
in British informal speech, to move on foot at high speed in order to get away from someone or somewhere, usually in the fixed phrase 'leg it'
When the shop alarm sounded, the two teenagers just legged it down the alley.
leg it + direction (escape on foot)
Selim legged it across the field the moment the bull lifted its head.
leg it + across + place
Owen forgot his wallet and had to leg it back to the cafe before closing.
The pickpocket grabbed the phone and legged it through the crowded market.
文法句型
leg it
legs it + adverbial
用法筆記
Almost always appears as the fixed verb phrase 'leg it' — using a bare 'legs' as a verb without 'it' is very rare. Object 'it' is dummy; the verb cannot take a real object.