variants
or less commonly leggin
ˈle-gən 
also ˈlā-
plural leggings also leggins
1
a
: pants that are made of a material that stretches to fit tightly around the legs
—usually used in plural
Lycra-cotton leggings and tunic tops are the pregnant woman's best friend, sartorially speaking.—
Anne Reeks
Anne Reeks
b
: tights
—usually used in plural
Something about the name "footed leggings" just makes these sound way warmer than your basic tights.—Melanie Richtman
Melanie Richtman2
a
: a covering (as of leather or cloth) for the legs worn over pants for protection
—usually used in plural
Welding leggings protect the lower leg (from the knee down) from sparks and spatter. Leather is naturally abrasion and flame resistant for use in applications with heavy sparks and spatter.—Grainger.com
Grainger.com
b
: a pair of separate coverings (as of leather or cloth) for the legs
—usually used in plural
… "leggings [worn by Plains Indians men] reached from the ankle to the thigh and were held in place by tying thongs, attached to their tops, to the belt. …"—Norman Feder, quoted in Dress Clothing of the Plains Indians
Norman Feder, quoted in Dress Clothing of the Plains IndiansExamples of legging in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Black leggings and a purple sweater, underwear and socks — something to wear the next day at her job as a typist clerk for Los Angeles County.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Scroll on for our breakdown of the best Alo leggings—including the cult favorite Airlift leggings and ever-so-versatile bootcut pants—backed up by rave reviews from Glamour editors.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2025
The model paired the jacket with a pair of leather leggings from a Wolford collaboration with Sergio Rossi.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 18 Feb. 2025
Wear it over a cozy turtleneck and glossy leggings for an off-duty ensemble or with a roomy T-shirt and straight-leg trousers for a cool and comfy finishing touch.
—Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legging
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Corina Knoll, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Scroll on for our breakdown of the best Alo leggings—including the cult favorite Airlift leggings and ever-so-versatile bootcut pants—backed up by rave reviews from Glamour editors.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2025
The model paired the jacket with a pair of leather leggings from a Wolford collaboration with Sergio Rossi.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 18 Feb. 2025
Wear it over a cozy turtleneck and glossy leggings for an off-duty ensemble or with a roomy T-shirt and straight-leg trousers for a cool and comfy finishing touch.
—Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legging
Cite this Entry
“Legging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legging. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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