Meaning & use
three-legged person
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Meanings
nouncountable
a person who has three legs, either because of a rare condition or because one leg has been replaced by an artificial one.
Grammar: Countable: say a three-legged person or three-legged people; it describes the person, so the plural goes on person, not on three-legged.
Patterns
- a three-legged person
- three-legged people
- a person with three legs
The documentary followed a three-legged person who had learned to run with a specially made blade.
In the old story, every three-legged person in the village was said to have a lucky charm.
She is a three-legged person after her accident, and she now coaches other amputees.
nouncountable
a person shown with three legs in a picture, statue, or heraldic design, usually as a symbol.
Grammar: Countable and often used after 'the': the three-legged person on the flag. It refers to an image, not a real body.
Patterns
- the three-legged person on something
- a figure of a three-legged person
The ancient coin shows a three-legged person running to the right.
On the old family crest you can see a three-legged person holding a sword.
Word forms
| plural | three-legged people |
|---|---|
| plural | three-legged persons |
Common combinations
- a three-legged person with a prosthetic leg
- The clinic fits a three-legged person with a prosthetic leg each year.
- a three-legged person in a wheelchair
- A three-legged person in a wheelchair may need a wider doorway.
- depict a three-legged person
- Some medieval banners depict a three-legged person as a sign of speed.
- born a three-legged person
- He was born a three-legged person because of a very rare genetic condition.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amputee
- Use amputee when the third leg is the result of an amputation; it is more medical and does not mention how many legs the person has now.
- tripod
- Tripod means an object with three legs, such as a stand or a camera support, and is never used for a person.
Word family
- three-legged adjective
- having three legs, used before a noun: a three-legged stool.
- legged adjective
- having legs of the stated number or type, as in long-legged or one-legged.
Commonly confused: three-legged person or three-leg? three-legged person or tripod?
three-legged person vs three-leg
Three-leg is not a normal English phrase; use three-legged before a noun, as in a three-legged race.
three-legged person vs tripod
A tripod has three legs but is a thing, not a person; do not call a person a tripod.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The adjective form before a noun is three-legged, so 'a three-legged person' is correct. 'Three legs person' and 'three-leg person' are not standard, and 'three legging' is not a word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “three-legged person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.