What does bowlegged mean?
Bowlegged describes a person whose legs curve outward at the knees, so that when the feet are placed together the knees remain apart. Medically known as genu varum, the condition can result from normal infantile development, nutritional rickets, Blount's disease, or years of horseback riding, which famously gave many cowboys a distinctive bandy-legged gait. In everyday speech the word is informal and often used humorously or affectionately rather than as an insult, appearing frequently in descriptions of riders, athletes, and characters in Western fiction. Its opposite is knock-kneed, where the knees angle inward. Mild bowing of the legs is common in toddlers and typically resolves without treatment, though persistent or severe bowing may warrant medical evaluation.
adjectiveHaving legs that curve outward at the knees, so that the ankles remain apart when the feet are together; affected by genu varum.
- Having legs that curve outward at the knees (genu varum), whether from development, disease such as rickets, or habitual posture like riding horses.
"The old cowboy's bowlegged stride was unmistakable across the stable yard."
"Years in the saddle left him permanently bowlegged."
"The toddler looked slightly bowlegged, which the doctor said was normal for her age."
A bowlegged posture was once prized in American Western films — cowboys were cast partly for their bandy-legged saddletime stance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bowlegged
Bowlegged combines "bow" — from Middle English, referring here to the curved shape of an archer's weapon, ultimately from Old English "boga," meaning bend or arch — with "legged." The compound emerged in English around the early 19th century, alongside the older adjective "bandy-legged." Related terms include the Latin-derived medical vocabulary "genu" (knee) and "varus" (turned inward/outward), which clinicians use instead of this colloquial compound.
Related word forms
How bowlegged is actually used
Informal to neutral register; often used affectionately or humorously rather than pejoratively. The medical term for the condition is genu varum. Mild bowing is normal in many toddlers and usually corrects itself.
Easily confused with bowlegged
Knock-kneed describes legs curving inward so the knees touch while the ankles stay apart, whereas bowlegged is the opposite — knees apart and ankles touching.