Leg (redirected from on last legs)

leg, one of the paired limbs of an animal used for support of the body and for locomotion. Properly, the human leg is that portion of the extremity between the foot and the thigh. This section of the human leg contains two long bones, the tibia and the fibula. The upper end of the tibia joins with the lower end of the thighbone (femur) and forms a hinged joint. The kneecap (patella), a flat triangular-shaped bone, surrounds and protects this joint. The lower end of both tibia and fibula join with the talus, a bone in the foot, to form the ankle joint. The upper end of the femur, which is the longest bone in the body, forms a ball and socket joint where it meets the hipbone. In quadrupeds, both the hind and fore limbs are referred to as legs.

---

leg

In a biped, the lower limb, jointed at the knee, supporting the body and used for walking and running. Its bones are the femur (thighbone), the longest bone in the human body; patella (kneecap); tibia (shin); and fibula. The biceps muscle of the thigh bends the leg; the quadriceps straightens it.

---

leg

1. 

a. either of the two lower limbs, including the bones and fleshy covering of the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella

b. (as modifier): leg guard

2. any similar or analogous structure in animals that is used for locomotion or support

3. something similar to a leg in appearance or function, such as one of the four supporting members of a chair

4. either the opposite or adjacent side of a right-angled triangle

5. Nautical

a. the distance travelled without tacking

b. (in yacht racing) the course between any two marks

6. Cricket

a. the side of the field to the left of a right-handed batsman as he faces the bowler

b. (as modifier): a leg slip

---

leg [leg]

(anatomy)

The lower extremity of a human limb, between the knee and the ankle.

(computer science)

The sequence of instructions that is followed in a computer routine from one branch point to the next.

(engineering)

Anything that functionally or structurally resembles an animal leg.

One of the branches of a forked or jointed object.

One of the main upright members of a drill derrick or tripod.

(geophysics)

A single cycle of more or less periodic motion in a wave train on a seismogram.

(mathematics)

Either side adjacent to the right angle of a right triangle.

(mechanical engineering)

The case that encloses the vertical part of the belt carrying the buckets within a grain elevator.

(metallurgy)

In a fillet weld, the distance between the root and the toe.

(mining engineering)

In mine timbering, a prop or upright member of a set or frame.

A stone that has to be wedged out from beneath a larger one.

(navigation)

One part of a craft's track, consisting of a single course line.

A track identified by an aid to navigation.

(zoology)

An appendage or limb used for support and locomotion.

---

Leg 

an organ of support and locomotion in animals and man (seeMOVEMENT, LOCOMOTION). In mollusks, the analagous organ of locomotion is called the foot, which occurs as an unpaired muscular outgrowth of the ventral wall of the body. The foot is often supplied with a flat, creeping basal plate and contains glands that secrete mucus or byssal threads (seeBYSSUS). The development and structure of the foot depend on the mollusk’s mode of life. For example, in swimming pteropods the foot is in the form of two fins, which are shaped like oars. In sessile and parasitic mollusks the foot is reduced to various degrees, depending on the species. In cephalopods it has been converted to a funnel and a crown of tentacles.