bowlegged

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Having legs that curve outward at the knees, so there is a wide gap between the knees when the feet are together.

   Grammar: Describes a permanent body shape, so it is not used with 'very' or in the comparative.

   Patterns

   • be bowlegged
   • become bowlegged

   The old cowboy walked slowly, bowlegged from years in the saddle.

   The doctor said the child was bowlegged, but that it would probably correct itself as he grew.

   She stood with her feet together, and you could see how bowlegged she was.

2. 2adjectivenot comparabletechnical

   Having curved, outward-bending legs, used of furniture such as tables or chairs.

   Grammar: Used before a noun when describing furniture with legs that curve outward.

   Patterns

   • a bowlegged table
   • bowlegged chairs

   The antique desk had elegant bowlegged supports.

   They bought a bowlegged coffee table that matched the old sofa.

Common combinations

slightly bowlegged

He was only slightly bowlegged, so most people never noticed.

bowlegged stance

The rider's bowlegged stance made everyone laugh.

become bowlegged

Some children become bowlegged in their first two years.

bowlegged cowboy

In old westerns, the hero is often a bowlegged cowboy.

Synonyms and how they differ

bandy-legged

Means almost the same, but is older and less common today.

crooked-legged

A broader, less precise term for legs that are not straight.

Opposites

Word family

bowleg noun

The condition or shape of having legs that curve outward.

bowleggedness noun

The state of being bowlegged.

Commonly confused: bowlegged or knock-kneed? bowlegged or bow-legged?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “bowlegged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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