jambe

Jambe is the French noun for the leg. In ordinary use, it refers to the limb between the knee and the ankle, while the thigh is usually called la cuisse. In anatomical or medical contexts, jambe can denote the lower limb more generally, with more precise terms such as genou (knee), mollet (calf), tibia, and fémur used for subregions.

The word derives from Old French jambe, from Latin gamba, and has cognates in other Romance languages, such as Italian gamba and Spanish gamba. It entered English primarily through French usage and remains a basic part of French anatomical vocabulary.

In ballet and other dance, jambe appears in technical phrases describing leg positions and actions, such as jambe tendue (leg stretched) and other terms that specify how the leg moves or is held.

Historically, jambe also appears in armor and medieval dress terminology to refer to the leg segment protected by pieces such as the jambe or jambière (shin guard) and cuissard (thigh protection). A well-known expression is jambe de bois, literally “wooden leg,” used in historical contexts and familiar in metaphor in various languages.

See also: jambe de bois.