Bowlegged describes legs that curve outward at the knees, like a pair of parentheses: ( ). When someone is bowlegged, their knees don't touch when they stand with their feet together. Instead, there's a space between their knees that makes their legs bow out in the middle.

Many babies are born slightly bowlegged because of how they were curled up before birth, but their legs usually straighten as they grow and start walking. Cowboys in old Western movies are often shown as bowlegged from spending so much time on horseback, though this is mostly a Hollywood exaggeration. Some people remain bowlegged throughout their lives, which usually doesn't cause any problems.

The opposite of bowlegged is knock-kneed, where the knees angle inward and touch while the ankles stay apart. You might notice these differences when watching people walk: someone who's very bowlegged may have a slightly rolling gait, while someone who's knock-kneed walks with their knees closer together.