If a person is bowlegged, he or she suffers from a condition that causes the thigh bones to curve out instead of being straight. Some people look temporarily bowlegged after riding a horse.
The adjective bowlegged can describe a medical condition and also a habit of standing in a certain posture. There are some causes of being bowlegged that can be treated, especially in childhood. Often toddlers who are new to walking stand in a bowlegged position — this is rarely serious, and it corrects itself as their legs get stronger. The word bowlegged comes from the way the legs curve, in the shape of a bow.