Legged is an adjective meaning equipped with legs or having a certain number of legs, often used in phrases like two-legged or four-legged. It can describe animals, contraptions, or figures presented with leg features. The term emphasizes the presence and type of legs, sometimes implying mobility or stance.
"The two-legged stool wobbled, so he adjusted it for stability."
"In the parade, a four-legged creature was actually a cleverly designed robot."
"The statue is legged, with detailed joints and segmented limbs."
"Researchers studied legged locomotion to understand balance and gait."
Legged derives from the noun leg, itself from Old English legg, from Proto-Germanic legjo, with related forms in other Germanic languages. The suffix -ed forms past-participle or adjective meaning “having legs of a specified kind” began to appear in Early Modern English as compound adjectives like two-legged, four-legged, etc. The sense progression centers on adding a morphological -ed to indicate possessing or furnished with legs. The first known uses align with animal descriptions and mechanical devices underscoring limb features; by the 17th–18th centuries, two-legged or multi-legged became common in scientific and illustrative texts. The word’s core meaning remains stable: it describes an organism or object that has legs, often with a numeric qualifier preceding it. In contemporary usage, legged is a productive affix for describing gait, locomotion, and design features in biology, robotics, and everyday speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Legged" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Legged" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Legged"
-ged sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You say /ˈlɛɡɪd/ with primary stress on the first syllable. The sounds are /l/ + /ɛ/ as in 'bed' + /ɡ/ as in 'go' + /ɪ/ as in 'kit' + /d/ as in 'dog'. The final -ed is pronounced as /ɪd/ here because /g/ ends the stem, so you hear the light, quick /ɪd/ at the end. Imagine ‘leg’-ged with a crisp /d/ release.
Common errors: 1) Slurring the /g/ and /d/: you might say /ˈlɛɡd/ without the extra syllable from the /ɪ/. 2) Misplacing stress, saying 'leGged' with the second syllable stressed. 3) The final /ɪd/ may become /d/ or /ɪ/ only. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable, insert the short /ɪ/ before the final /d/ so it sounds /ˈlɛɡɪd/. Record yourself and compare to a slow model.
In US, the /ɪ/ tends to be a lax short i, and the /d/ is clear; in many UK accents, you may hear a slightly closer /ɪ/ and crisper/dobal closing; Australian speakers often have a slightly more centralized /ɪ/ and a lighter /d/ release. The /l/ remains clear in all. Across accents, the main variation is vowel quality of /ɛ/ and the quality of /ɡ/ followed by a consonant—ensure you’re not turning /ɡɪ/ into /dʒɪ/ or a schwa.
The challenge is coordinating the consonant cluster /ɡ/ with the following /ɪ/ and the final /d/ within a short duration. Beginners often merge /ɡɪ/ into /ɡi/ or omit the /ɪ/ before /d/. Practicing a clear, brief /ɪ/ before /d/ helps you resist flapping or blends that blur the ending. Use slow repetition to lock the sequence /l/ + /ɛ/ + /ɡ/ + /ɪ/ + /d/.
A distinctive feature of legged is the final -ed pronounced as /ɪd/ after a hard consonant, which creates a light, almost tiny vowel before the final /d/. This contrasts with many -ed endings that go /t/ or /d/; here, /ɪd/ keeps the ending separate and crisp. Focus on articulatory timing: hold /ɪ/ briefly, then release /d/ clearly.
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