to stand on one leg
2
2.3
- phrasal verb
:
mantenerse en una pierna
- During the exercise, you must stand on one leg for at least 15 seconds to engage your core.
- stand on one leg with eyes
In that picture picture, Shinaman is standing on one leg, clutching his wife in an embrace, his crutch having fallen to the ground.
- In that picture picture, Shinaman is standing on one leg, clutching his wife in an embrace, his crutch having fallen to the ground.
- The last time I was in Milwaukee in this building, standing behind a podium was for the debate and I stood on one leg for two hours.
Examples
-
We can compare this lone woman with the Kiltinan Sheela, who stands on one leg, holding her hand up in the air (Roberts 1997, 1).
Academic text (2000) -
Tom dashed past Ator, still standing on one leg, and headed for the front door.
Fiction book (2001) -
Kevin could barely stand on one leg without falling down.
-
One more word out of you and you'll spend the rest of the day standing on one leg.
Fiction book (1993) -
He was standing on one leg, and the other leg was up in the air, looking sort of like a Canada goose.
Academic text (2002) -
In that picture picture, Shinaman is standing on one leg, clutching his wife in an embrace, his crutch having fallen to the ground.
-
Real leopards, Roy, that'd claw your eyes out if you let 'em, and flamingos that fall asleep standing on one leg.
Fiction book (1990) -
For the yoga pose, you need to stand on one leg while the other leg is raised in front of you.
-
In physical therapy, patients often stand on one leg to improve their balance.
Antonyms
How Difficult
41
1.0
2
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to remain upright while balanced on a single leg' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'stand' (be upright) with the locative preposition 'on' and the quantifier 'one' plus 'leg' (a limb). This is a literal, cross-linguistically common construction and follows standard English grammar for location/position, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.
Etymology
The phrase stand on one leg comes from the clear picture of birds like flamingos that stand on one leg to rest and keep their balance. So, it means 'to stay standing on one leg'.