Dogleg

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɒɡlɛɡ/

Definitions

1. A sudden angular change in a pathway or route that mimics the form of a canine limb
2. An unexpected shift in direction, chiefly used in the context of roadways or golf courses, characterized by a sharp turn
3. A sharp angle in a route or road causing an abrupt change in direction ; a golf hole designed with a bend, requiring a curved shot

Etymology: A dogleg is named for the shape of a dog's hind leg, which bends sharply at the hock, the joint that looks like a backward knee. That angular bend is the whole idea: anything that suddenly turns at a sharp angle, rather than curving gently, can be said to have a dogleg. The word is simply a compound of "dog" and "leg," with no older dialect or foreign root behind it. The image has been applied to a range of things. Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire has a staircase built with this kind of abrupt turn, and golf courses use the term for holes whose fairways bend sharply left or right partway along. Traffic engineers have adopted it too, using a standard warning sign for a dogleg intersection, where a road meets another at an awkward angle.

Synonyms: bend, turn, curve, zigzag, angle