pull someone's leg
noun
1.
either of the two lower limbs of a biped, as a human being, or any of the paired limbs of an animal, arthropod, etc., that support and move the body.
2.
Anatomy. the lower limb of a human being from the knee to the ankle.
3.
something resembling or suggesting a leg in use, position, or appearance.
4.
the part of a garment that covers the leg: the leg of a stocking; trouser leg.
5.
one of usually several, relatively tall, slender supports for a piece of furniture.
6.
one of the sides of a forked object, as of a compass or pair of dividers.
7.
one of the sides of a triangle other than the base or hypotenuse.
8.
a timber, bar, or the like, serving to prop or shore up a structure.
9.
one of the flanges of an angle iron.
10.
one of the distinct sections of any course: the last leg of a trip.
11.
Nautical.
a.
one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a sailing ship.
b.
one straight or nearly straight part of a multiple-sided course in a sailing race.
12.
Sports.
a.
one of a designated number of contests that must be successfully completed in order to determine the winner.
b.
one of the stretches or sections of a relay race.
13.
legs, (in wine tasting) the rivulets of wine that slowly descend along the inside of a glass after the wine has been swirled, sometimes regarded as an indication that the wine is full-bodied.
14.
Cricket.
a.
the part of the field to the left of and behind the batsman as he faces the bowler or to the right of and behind him if he is left-handed.
b.
the fielder playing this part of the field.
c.
the position of this fielder.
15.
Electricity. a component or branch of a circuit, network, antenna, etc.
16.
Radio and Television. a connecting link between stations in a network, as the microwave relays used in transmitting a show from one geographical area to another.
17.
verb (used with object)
18.
to move or propel (a boat) with the legs: They legged the boat through the tunnel.
00:10
Pull someone's leg
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
19.
Idioms leg up, to help (someone) to mount a horse.
20.
leg it, Informal. to walk rapidly or run: We'd better leg it or we'll be late for class.
21.
leg up,
a.
a means of help or encouragement; assist; boost: Studying the material with a tutor will give you a leg up on passing the exam.
b.
advantage; edge.
22.
not have a leg to stand on, to lack a valid or logical basis for one's argument or attitude: Without evidence, the prosecutor doesn't have a leg to stand on.
23.
on one's/its last legs, just short of exhaustion, breakdown, failure, etc.: The aristocracy was on its last legs.
24.
pull someone's leg,
a.
to make fun of someone; tease.
b.
to deceive someone; trick someone.
Origin:
1225–75; 1915–20 for def 10; Middle English < Old Norse leggr
1225–75; 1915–20 for def 10; Middle English < Old Norse leggr
Related forms
leg·less, adjective
leg·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To pull someone's leg
Collins
World English Dictionary
leg (lɛɡ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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; leg rest Related: crural | |
| 2. | any similar or analogous structure in animals that is used for locomotion or support |
| 3. | this part of an animal, esp the thigh, used for food: leg of lamb |
| 4. | something similar to a leg in appearance or function, such as one of the four supporting members of a chair |
| 5. | a branch, limb, or part of a forked or jointed object |
| 6. | the part of a garment that covers the leg |
| 7. | a section or part of a journey or course |
| 8. | a single stage, lap, length, etc, in a relay race |
| 9. | either one of two races on which a cumulative bet has been placed |
| 10. | either the opposite or adjacent side of a right-angled triangle |
| 11. | nautical |
| a. the distance travelled without tacking | |
| b. (in yacht racing) the course between any two marks | |
| 12. | one of a series of games, matches, or parts of games |
| 13. | 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 stump | |
| 14. | give someone a leg up |
| a. to help someone to climb an obstacle by pushing upwards | |
| b. to help someone to advance | |
| 15. | informal have legs to be successful or show the potential to succeed |
| 16. | not have a leg to stand on to have no reasonable or logical basis for an opinion or argument |
| 17. | on its last legs worn out; exhausted |
| 18. | informal pull someone's leg to tease, fool, or make fun of someone |
| 19. | informal shake a leg |
| a. to hurry up: usually used in the imperative | |
| b. to dance | |
| 20. | informal show a leg to get up in the morning |
| 21. | stretch one's legs See stretch |
| —vb , legs, legging, legged | |
| 22. | obsolete (tr) to propel (a canal boat) through a tunnel by lying on one's back and walking one's feet along the tunnel roof |
| 23. | informal leg it to walk, run, or hurry |
| Related: crural | |
| [C13: from Old Norse leggr, of obscure origin] | |
| 'leglike | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
leg
c.1275, from O.N. leggr "leg, bone," from P.Gmc. *lagjaz. Replaced O.E. shank. The meaning "a part or stage of a journey or race" (1920) is from earlier sailing sense of "a run made on a single tack" (1867), which was usually qualified as long leg, short leg, etc. Leg-work (1891) was originally news
reporter's slang for an assignment that produced more walking than text. Slang phrase shake a leg "dance" is attested from 1881. To be on (one's) last legs "at the end of one's life" is from 1599. Legging "extra outer covering to protect the leg" first recorded 1763. Leg-warmer is first attested 1974. Leg up "aid, boost" is from 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
leg (lěg)
n.
One of the two lower limbs of the human body, especially the part between the knee and the foot.
A supporting part resembling a leg in shape or function.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
pull someone's leg
Play a joke on, tease, as in Are you serious about moving back in or are you pulling my leg? This term is thought to allude to tripping someone by so holding a stick or other object that one of his legs is pulled back. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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