A leg is a limb on an organism's body that supports the rest of the animal above the ground between the ankle and the hip and the groin. and is used for locomotion. The end of the leg farthest from the animal's body is often either modified or attached to another structure that is modified to disperse the animal's weight on the ground (see foot). In bipedal vertebrate animals, the two lower limbs are usually referred to as the "legs" and the two upper limbs as "arms" or "wings" as the case may be.
In the anatomy of vertebrates, including human beings (see human leg), leg is also used to refer to the entire limb, but its precise definition refers[1][2][3] only to the segment between the knee and the ankle. In vertebrate and human anatomy this segment is also called the shank,[4][5] and the front (anterior) of the segment is called the shin or pretibia.
Most animals have an even number of legs. Many taxonomic groups are characterized by the number of legs their members possess.
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A leg is a weight bearing and locomotive structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts"[1] - the combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element capable of changing length and rotating about an omnidirectional "hip" joint.
As an anatomical animal structure it is used for locomotion. The distal end is often modified to distribute force (such as a foot). Most animals have an even number of legs.
As a component of furniture it is used for the economy of materials needed to provide the support for the useful surface, the table top or chair seat.
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Many taxa are characterized by number of legs:
In tetrapod anatomy, leg is used to refer to the entire limb. In human medicine its precise definition refers[2][3][4] only to the segment between the knee and the ankle. This segment is also called the shank,[5][6] and the front (anterior) of the segment is called the shin or pretibia.
In bipedal tetrapods, the two lower limbs are referred to as the "legs" and the two upper limbs as "arms" or "wings" as the case may be.
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From Old Norse leggr (Swedish lägg, Icelandic leggur, Norwegian legg).
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leg (plural legs)
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to leg (third-person singular simple present legs, present participle legging, simple past and past participle legged)
From Old Norse leikr.
leg c. (singular definite legen, plural indefinite lege)
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative, dative and accusative | leg | legen | lege | legene |
| genitive | legs | legens | leges | legenes |
leg
leg(e)
leg n. (genitive singular legs, plural leg)
leg
leg (also legg) n.
From English leg.
leg
A leg is something used to support things; to hold them up. Birds and humans have two legs. Some objects, for example tables and chairs, also have legs to hold them up.
Animals normally have 2 or 4 legs (vertebrates, which are animals with a backbone), or 6, 8, or 12 (arthropods, for example insects and spiders). Centipedes and millipedes have a lot more legs, but not exactly a hundred or a thousand as their names make people who do not know them think. Humans have 2 legs, complete with feet.
Biped is an animal with two legs and quadruped is an animal with four legs.
People also use the word "leg" in idioms, for example:
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