legs


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leg

leg

 (lĕg)
n.
1.
a. One of the limbs or appendages that an animal uses for locomotion or support.
b. One of the lower or hind limbs in humans and other primates.
c. The part of the limb between the knee and foot in vertebrates.
d. The back part of the hindquarter of a meat animal.
2. A supporting part resembling a leg in shape or function.
3. One of the branches of a forked or jointed object.
4. The part of a garment, especially of a pair of pants, that covers the leg.
5. Mathematics Either side of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse.
6. A stage of a journey or course, especially:
a. Nautical The distance traveled by a sailing vessel on a single tack.
b. The part of an air route or a flight pattern that is between two successive stops, positions, or changes in direction.
c. One of several contests that must be successfully completed in order to determine the winner of a competition.
d. Sports One stretch of a relay race.
7. legs The narrow streams of swirled wine or spirits that run slowly down along the inside of a glass, often believed to indicate that the liquid is full-bodied.
8. legs Slang The ability to last or sustain success, especially by appealing to an audience: a blockbuster movie that has legs.
intr.v. legged, leg·ging, legs Informal
To go on foot; walk or run. Often used with the indefinite it: Because we missed the bus, we had to leg it across town.
Idioms:
a leg to stand on Slang
A justifiable or logical basis for defense; support: He doesn't have a leg to stand on in this debate.
a leg up Slang
1. The act or an instance of assisting; a boost.
2. A position of advantage; an edge: We have a leg up on the competition.
on (one's) last legs
At the end of one's strength or resources; ready to collapse, fail, or die.

[Middle English, from Old Norse leggr.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Legs

 

See Also: PAIN, PHYSICAL FEELINGS

  1. Ankles fine as an antelope’s —Josephine Edgar
  2. Ankles like door knobs —Anon
  3. The calves of her legs were as taut and stiff as anchor chains —Mary Ellen Chase
  4. Feet heavy as anchors —Richard Ford
  5. Feet large as spades —Aharon Megged
  6. Feet like canoes —Herbert Wilner
  7. Feet … swollen, driven through my shoes like devilled egg through a pastry bag —Ira Wood
  8. Feet … tripping like the feet of a restless pony —Adela Rogers St. John
  9. (The fiddler’s) feet were like the black hooves of a trotting horse that never seemed to touch the ground —Will Weaver

    See Also: DANCING

  10. Her bony toes seemed as long and articulate as fingers —Thomas Williams
  11. Her legs were shapeless … like a fisherwoman’s —H. E. Bates
  12. His legs felt like two old rusted rain gutters —Flannery O’Connor
  13. (She was a vast blonde girl, with) huge limbs like a piece of modern sculpture —Barbara Pym
  14. Knees tuck out … like two hard-boiled eggs —Anne Piper
  15. Legs bowed like a wishbone —Ian MacMillan

    See Also: BENDING/BENT

  16. Legs … as heavy as sunken logs —Nolan Miller
  17. Legs as shapeless and almost as thin as the lines in a child’s drawing —Niven Busch
  18. Legs as thick as newel posts —F. van Wyck Mason
  19. Legs bent like monster springs —Richard S. Prather
  20. Legs … bowed, rickety, like bent pipes —George Garrett
  21. Legs have gone mottled, like Roquefort cheese —Nadine Gordimer

    Another simile to describe the effects of cellulite is “Thighs like cottage cheese.”

  22. Legs in motion like the hind parts of a dog —David Ignatow
  23. Legs knotted and angular as whittled wood —George Garrett
  24. Legs like a baseball bat —Delmore Schwartz
  25. (A large man with) legs like a billiard table —Joyce Cary
  26. Legs like an emaciated monkey’s —Louis-Ferdinand Celine
  27. Legs like redwood trees —Pat Conroy
  28. Legs … like two pillars —Bertold Brecht
  29. Legs moving like the hammers of a grand piano —Paul Kuttner
  30. Legs shaped like lion’s paws —Jilly Cooper
  31. Legs solid as tree trunks —Richard Deming
  32. Legs … stiff as a wooden soldier’s legs —William Kotzwinkle,
  33. Legs … straight as a pair of poplar trees in a storm —Ariel Dorfman See Also: STRAIGHTNESS
  34. Legs were strong as old roots —Truman Capote
  35. Legs that were too long, like a colt’s —Beryl Markham
  36. Long, thin legs like wading birds —Elizabeth Hardwick
  37. My feet feel like balloons —Anthony Powell
  38. (The young lady has) a pair of ankles like chianti bottles —George Jean Nathan

    See Also: INSULTS

  39. The pull of the tendons at his ankle like the taut ropes that control the sails of ships —Nadine Gordimer
  40. She (a ballet dancer) has legs like a Fordham tackle —Irwin Shaw
  41. Skinny legs, like the legs of a turkey gobbler —Ellen Glasgow
  42. Swings his game leg like a gate, creaking on its hinges —Bette Howland
  43. Thighs big as trees —John D. MacDonald
  44. Thighs like a wild mare —Thomas Williams
  45. Thighs like pillars of a temple —Peter De Vries
  46. Thighs like twin portals —Paule Marshall
  47. Thighs solid as poplars —Sharon Sheehe Stark
  48. Thighs … they look like they’re made of steel —Jonathan Valin
  49. Varicose veins crawled like fat blue worms under her stockings —Ross Macdonald
  50. Veins like big ugly worms —James Crumley
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.legs - staying power; "that old Broadway play really has legs"
stamina, staying power, toughness - enduring strength and energy
jargon, lingo, patois, argot, vernacular, slang, cant - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in classic literature ?
Thus spake the wanderer who called himself Zarathustra's shadow; and before any one answered him, he had seized the harp of the old magician, crossed his legs, and looked calmly and sagely around him:--with his nostrils, however, he inhaled the air slowly and questioningly, like one who in new countries tasteth new foreign air.
His head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all.
Two legs are quite unnecessary, and they spoil one's shape."
he was about my age, when, setting out one day for the chase, he felt his legs weak, the man who had never known what weakness was before."
His legs were stiff and awkward, for there were no knee-joints in them; so that presently he bumped against Jack Pumpkinhead and sent that personage tumbling upon the moss that lined the roadside.
There was much hair on their chests and shoulders, and on the outsides of their arms and legs. Their heads were matted with uncut hair, long locks of which often strayed before their eyes, beady and black and glittering like the eyes of birds.
Bob whirled abruptly and with lightning swiftness, pivoting on his hind legs, his fore legs just lifted clear of the ground.
Just as he was passing along the passage, the boy opened the door into the second horse-box on the left, and Vronsky caught a glimpse of a big chestnut horse with white legs. He knew that this was Gladiator, but, with the feeling of a man turning away from the sight of another man's open letter, he turned round and went into Frou-Frou's stall.
Why, I'm glad now I lost my legs for a while, for you never, never know how perfectly lovely legs are till you haven't got them--that go, I mean.
The wild-dog was what he was, a wild-dog, cringing and sneaking, his ears for ever down, his tail for ever between his legs, for ever apprehending fresh misfortune and ill-treatment to fall on him, for ever fearing and resentful, fending off threatened hurt with lips curling malignantly from his puppy fangs, cringing under a blow, squalling his fear and his pain, and ready always for a treacherous slash if luck and safety favoured.
The farmer slowly felt my legs, which were much swelled and strained; then he looked at my mouth.
You know the old man's ivory leg, well I dreamed he kicked me with it; and when I tried to kick back, upon my soul, my little man, I kicked my leg right off!