legged

Everyday

1. Legged means having legs, usually of a certain number or kind: four-legged, long-legged. tree →
2. «Leg it» (legged it) is informal British for running away fast. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons pupils sort animals by number of legs: birds and humans are two-legged, dogs and cats four-legged, insects six-legged, spiders eight-legged. In stories a long-legged heron or a three-legged race at sports day. Phrases: four-legged friend, three-legged race, cross-legged, bow-legged.

Examples

• A dog is a four-legged animal. tree →
• Insects are six-legged creatures. tree →
• We ran a three-legged race on sports day. tree →
• Sit cross-legged on the carpet. tree →
• A long-legged heron stood in the river. tree →
• The thief legged it down the road. tree →
• And send off the long-legged man with the letter. tree →

Note

Usually joined with a hyphen to a number or describing word: «four-legged», «long-legged». Said «legd» or «LEG-id». Maths: four-legged and two-legged animals are a classic problem — count heads and legs: 5 dogs have 20 legs, 3 hens have 6 legs. «Cross-legged» means sitting with your legs crossed.