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legwork

American  
[leg-wurk] / ˈlɛgˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. work or research involving extensive walking or traveling about, usually away from one's office, as in gathering data for a book, a legal action, etc.

  2. action of the legs as executed by an athlete, dancer, etc.

legwork British  
/ ˈlɛɡˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. informal work that involves travelling on foot or as if on foot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of legwork

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; leg + work

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Lendorf stood out for his unerring, dignified demeanor and the clarity of his pliant upper-body carriage against the marvelous surety of his cats-paw footwork and quietly powerful legwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

But it isn’t straightforward, and it will require legwork.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025

While lawyers and their staff do much of the legwork for trial preparation, a client works with their attorneys to help formulate a defense.

From Salon • Oct. 11, 2025

It is billed as a product that "can take the legwork out of searching" though users are warned it is experimental.

From BBC • May 24, 2024

Did he not do all of Willoughby’s legwork?

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.