lead

[ leed ]

/ lid /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lead ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), led, lead·ing.

to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort: to lead a group on a cross-country hike.

to conduct by holding and guiding: to lead a horse by a rope.

to influence or induce; cause: Subsequent events led him to reconsider his position.

to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.; bring: You can lead her around to your point of view if you are persistent.

to conduct or bring (water, wire, etc.) in a particular course.

(of a road, passage, etc.) to serve to bring (a person) to a place: The first street on the left will lead you to Andrews Place.

to take or bring: The prisoners were led into the warden's office.

to command or direct (an army or other large organization): He led the Allied forces during the war.

to go at the head of or in advance of (a procession, list, body, etc.); proceed first in: The mayor will lead the parade.

to be superior to; have the advantage over: The first baseman leads his teammates in runs batted in.

to have top position or first place in: Iowa leads the nation in corn production.

to have the directing or principal part in: The minister will now lead us in prayer. He led a peace movement.

to act as leader of (an orchestra, band, etc.); conduct.

to go through or pass (time, life, etc.): to lead a full life.

Cards. to begin a round, game, etc., with (a card or suit specified).

to aim and fire a firearm or cannon ahead of (a moving target) in order to allow for the travel of the target while the bullet or shell is reaching it.

Football. to throw a lead pass to (an intended receiver): The quarterback led the left end.

verb (used without object), led, lead·ing.

to act as a guide; show the way: You lead and we'll follow.

to afford passage to a place: That path leads directly to the house.

to go first; be in advance: The band will lead and the troops will follow.

to result in; tend toward (usually followed by to): The incident led to his resignation. One remark often leads to another.

to take the directing or principal part.

to take the offensive: The contender led with a right to the body.

Cards. to make the first play.

to be led or submit to being led, as a horse: A properly trained horse will lead easily.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to leave a base before the delivery of a pitch in order to reach the next base more quickly (often followed by away).

lead back, to play (a card) from a suit that one's partner led.

noun

the first or foremost place; position in advance of others: He took the lead in the race.

the extent of such an advance position: He had a lead of four lengths.

a person or thing that leads.

a leash.

a suggestion or piece of information that helps to direct or guide; tip; clue: I got a lead on a new job. The phone list provided some great sales leads.

a guide or indication of a road, course, method, etc., to follow.

precedence; example; leadership: They followed the lead of the capital in their fashions.

Theater.

the principal part in a play.
the person who plays it.

Cards.

the act or right of playing first, as in a round.
the card, suit, etc., so played.

Journalism.

a short summary serving as an introduction to a news story, article, or other copy.
the main and often most important news story.

Electricity. an often flexible and insulated single conductor, as a wire, used in connections between pieces of electric apparatus.

the act of taking the offensive.

Nautical.

the direction of a rope, wire, or chain.
Also called leader. any of various devices for guiding a running rope.

Naval Architecture. the distance between the center of lateral resistance and the center of effort of a sailing ship, usually expressed decimally as a fraction of the water-line length.

an open channel through a field of ice.

Mining.

a lode.
an auriferous deposit in an old riverbed.

the act of aiming a gun ahead of a moving target.

the distance ahead of a moving target that a gun must be aimed in order to score a direct hit.

Baseball. an act or instance of leading.

Manège. (of a horse at a canter or gallop) the foreleg that consistently extends beyond and strikes the ground ahead of the other foreleg: The horse is cantering on the left lead.

adjective

most important; principal; leading; first: lead editorial; lead elephant; lead designer.

Football. (of a forward pass) thrown ahead of the intended receiver so as to allow him to catch it while running.

Baseball. (of a base runner) nearest to scoring: They forced the lead runner at third base on an attempted sacrifice.

Verb Phrases

lead off,

to take the initiative; begin.
Baseball. to be the first player in the batting order or the first batter in an inning.

lead on,

to induce to follow an unwise course of action; mislead.
to cause or encourage to believe something that is not true.

lead out,

to make a beginning.
to escort a partner to begin a dance: He led her out and they began a rumba.

Nearby words

leachate, leaching, leachy, leacock, leacock, stephen butler, lead, lead a chase, lead a dog's life, lead a double life, lead acetate, lead arsenate

Idioms

lead someone a chase/dance, to cause someone difficulty by forcing to do irksome or unnecessary things.

lead the way. way¹(def 34).

lead up to,

to prepare the way for.
to approach (a subject, disclosure, etc.) gradually or evasively: I could tell by her allusions that she was leading up to something.

Origin of lead

before 900; Middle English leden, Old English lǣdan (causative of līthan to go, travel); cognate with Dutch leiden, German leiten, Old Norse leitha

SYNONYMS FOR lead

1 accompany, precede.

3 persuade, convince.

10 excel, outstrip, surpass.

28 head, vanguard.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lead ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR lead

1 follow.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR lead ON THESAURUS.COM

Synonym study

1. See guide.

Definition for lead (2 of 2)

lead

[ led ]

/ lɛd /

noun

Chemistry. a heavy, comparatively soft, malleable, bluish-gray metal, sometimes found in its natural state but usually combined as a sulfide, especially in galena. Symbol: Pb; atomic weight: 207.19; atomic number: 82; specific gravity: 11.34 at 20°C.

something made of this metal or of one of its alloys.

a plummet or mass of lead suspended by a line, as for taking soundings.

bullets collectively; shot.

black lead or graphite.

a small stick of graphite, as used in pencils.

Also leading. Printing. a thin strip of type metal or brass less than type-high, used for increasing the space between lines of type.

a grooved bar of lead or came in which sections of glass are set, as in stained-glass windows.

leads, British. a roof, especially one that is shallow or flat, covered with lead.

white lead.

verb (used with object)

to cover, line, weight, treat, or impregnate with lead or one of its compounds.

Printing. to insert leads between the lines of.

to fix (window glass) in position with leads.

adjective

made of or containing lead: a lead pipe; a lead compound.

Origin of lead

before 900; Middle English lede, Old English lēad; cognate with Dutch lood, Old Frisian lād lead, German Lot plummet

SYNONYMS FOR lead

3 weight, plumb.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lead ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formslead·less, adjective

Can be confusedlead led

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lead

Such is her burgeoning popularity Toomey is looking to employ more instructors to lead her highly personalized exercise classes.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There were a lot of little pieces, pieces of lead and stuff.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Big Perm worries that the lack of policing the “small fry” will lead to more crimes by “big fry.”
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sting took over the lead role to try to draw an audience, but his thumpingly inspirational score was already the hero of the show.
Hedwig, Hugh & Michael Cera: 12 Powerhouse Theater Performances of 2014|Janice Kaplan|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This immediately raises the issue of who will lead the crash investigation.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They wrote state-papers, went on embassies, and took the lead at town-meetings.
Atlantic Monthly, Vol. XII. September, 1863, No. LXXI.|Various
I will ask our brother, Huya, the great war bird, to lead you to the Blackfeet camp.
The War Trail|Elmer Russell Gregor
When my lead dog found him, and raised the yell, all the rest broke to him, but none of them entered his house until we got up.
A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee.|Davy Crockett
Well, you'd a died to see dad get up out of that prickly cactus and take the lead for good old Rome.
Peck's Bad Boy Abroad|George W. Peck
But, somehow, Jefferson Creede took the lead and rode with his eyes cast down, lest they should be dazzled by the vision.
Hidden Water|Dane Coolidge

British Dictionary definitions for lead (1 of 2)

lead

/ (liːd) /

verb leads, leading or led (lɛd)

to show the way to (an individual or a group) by going with or aheadlead the party into the garden

to guide or be guided by holding, pulling, etche led the horse by its reins

(tr) to cause to act, feel, think, or behave in a certain way; induce; influencehe led me to believe that he would go

(tr) to phrase a question to (a witness) that tends to suggest the desired answer

(when intr, foll by to) (of a road, route, etc) to serve as the means of reaching a place

(tr) to go ahead so as to indicate (esp in the phrase lead the way)

to guide, control, or directto lead an army

(tr) to direct the course of or conduct (water, a rope or wire, etc) along or as if along a channel

to initiate the action of (something); have the principal part in (something)to lead a discussion

to go at the head of or have the top position in (something)he leads his class in geography

(intr foll by with) to have as the first or principal itemthe newspaper led with the royal birth

music

British to play first violin in (an orchestra)
(intr) (of an instrument or voice) to be assigned an important entry in a piece of music

to direct and guide (one's partner) in a dance

(tr)

to pass or spendI lead a miserable life
to cause to pass a life of a particular kindto lead a person a dog's life

(intr foll by to) to tend (to) or result (in)this will only lead to misery

to initiate a round of cards by putting down (the first card) or to have the right to do thisshe led a diamond

(tr) to aim at a point in front of (a moving target) in shooting, etc, in order to allow for the time of flight

(intr) boxing to make an offensive blow, esp as one's habitual attacking punchsouthpaws lead with their right

lead astray to mislead so as to cause error or wrongdoing

lead by the nose See nose (def. 12)

noun

the first, foremost, or most prominent place
(as modifier)lead singer

example, precedence, or leadershipthe class followed the teacher's lead

an advance or advantage held over othersthe runner had a lead of twenty yards

anything that guides or directs; indication; clue

another name for leash

the act or prerogative of playing the first card in a round of cards or the card so played

the principal role in a play, film, etc, or the person playing such a role

the principal news story in a newspaperthe scandal was the lead in the papers
the opening paragraph of a news story
(as modifier)lead story

music an important entry assigned to one part usually at the beginning of a movement or section

a wire, cable, or other conductor for making an electrical connection

boxing

one's habitual attacking punch
a blow made with this

nautical the direction in which a rope runs

a deposit of metal or ore; lode

the firing of a gun, missile, etc, ahead of a moving target to correct for the time of flight of the projectile

Word Origin for lead

Old English lǣdan; related to līthan to travel, Old High German līdan to go

British Dictionary definitions for lead (2 of 2)

lead

/ (lɛd) /

noun

a heavy toxic bluish-white metallic element that is highly malleable: occurs principally as galena and used in alloys, accumulators, cable sheaths, paints, and as a radiation shield. Symbol: Pb; atomic no: 82; atomic wt: 207.2; valency: 2 or 4; relative density: 11.35; melting pt: 327.502°C; boiling pt: 1750°CRelated adjectives: plumbic, plumbeous, plumbous

a lead weight suspended on a line used to take soundings of the depth of water

swing the lead to malinger or make up excuses

lead weights or shot, as used in cartridges, fishing lines, etc

a thin grooved strip of lead for holding small panes of glass or pieces of stained glass

(plural)

thin sheets or strips of lead used as a roof covering
a flat or low-pitched roof covered with such sheets

printing a thin strip of type metal used for spacing between lines of hot-metal typeCompare reglet (def. 2)

graphite or a mixture containing graphite, clay, etc, used for drawing
a thin stick of this material, esp the core of a pencil

(modifier) of, consisting of, relating to, or containing lead

go down like a lead balloon See balloon (def. 9)

verb (tr)

to fill or treat with lead

to surround, cover, or secure with lead or leads

printing to space (type) by use of leads

Derived Formsleadless, adjectiveleady, adjective

Word Origin for lead

Old English; related to Dutch lood, German Lot

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

Word Origin and History for lead (1 of 4)

lead

v.1

"to guide," Old English lædan "cause to go with one, lead, guide, conduct, carry; sprout forth; bring forth, pass (one's life)," causative of liðan "to travel," from West Germanic *laidjan (cf. Old Saxon lithan, Old Norse liða "to go," Old High German ga-lidan "to travel," Gothic ga-leiþan "to go"), from PIE *leit- "to go forth."

Meaning "to be in first place" is from late 14c. Sense in card playing is from 1670s. Related: Led; leading. Lead-off "commencement, beginning" attested from 1879; lead-in "introduction, opening" is from 1928.

Word Origin and History for lead (1 of 4)

lead

n.1

heavy metal, Old English lead, from West Germanic *loudhom (cf. Old Frisian lad, Middle Dutch loot, Dutch lood "lead," German Lot "weight, plummet"). The name and the skill in using the metal seem to have been borrowed from the Celts (cf. Old Irish luaide), probably from PIE root *plou(d)- "to flow."

Figurative of heaviness since at least early 14c. Black lead was an old name for "graphite," hence lead pencil (1680s) and the colloquial figurative phrase to have lead in one's pencil "be possessed of (especially male sexual) vigor," attested by 1902. Lead balloon "a failure," American English slang, attested by 1957 (as a type of something heavy that can be kept up only with effort, from 1904). Lead-footed "slow" is from 1896; opposite sense of "fast" emerged 1940s in trucker's jargon, from notion of a foot heavy on the gas pedal.

Word Origin and History for lead (2 of 4)

lead

n.2

c.1300, "action of leading," from lead (v.1). Meaning "the front or leading place" is from 1560s. Johnson stigmatized it as "a low, despicable word." Sense in card-playing is from 1742; in theater, from 1831; in journalism, from 1912; in jazz bands, from 1934.

Word Origin and History for lead (3 of 4)

lead

v.2

early 15c., "to make of lead," from lead (n.1). Meaning "to cover with lead" is from mid-15c. Related: Leaded (early 13c.); leading.

Science definitions for lead

lead

[ lĕd ]

Pb

A soft, ductile, heavy, bluish-gray metallic element that is extracted chiefly from galena. It is very durable and resistant to corrosion and is a poor conductor of electricity. Lead is used to make radiation shielding and containers for corrosive substances. It was once commonly used in pipes, solder, roofing, paint, and antiknock compounds in gasoline, but its use in these products has been curtailed because of its toxicity. Atomic number 82; atomic weight 207.2; melting point 327.5°C; boiling point 1,744°C; specific gravity 11.35; valence 2, 4. See Periodic Table. See Note at element.

Idioms and Phrases with lead

lead

In addition to the idioms beginning with lead

lead a chase
lead a dog's life
lead a double life
lead by the nose
lead down the garden path
leading light
leading question
lead off
lead on
lead one to
lead the way
lead up the garden path
lead up to
lead with one's chin

also see:

all roads lead to Rome
blind leading the blind
get the lead out of
go over (like a lead balloon)
put lead in one's pencil
you can lead a horse to water

lead

verb (used with object), led, lead·ing.

verb (used without object), led, lead·ing.

noun

adjective

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of lead

Synonym study

Definition for lead (2 of 2)

lead

noun

verb (used with object)

adjective

Origin of lead

Examples from the Web for lead

British Dictionary definitions for lead (1 of 2)

lead

verb leads, leading or led (lɛd)

noun

Word Origin for lead

British Dictionary definitions for lead (2 of 2)

lead

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for lead

Word Origin and History for lead (1 of 4)

lead

Word Origin and History for lead (1 of 4)

lead

Word Origin and History for lead (2 of 4)

lead

Word Origin and History for lead (3 of 4)

lead

Science definitions for lead

lead

Pb

Idioms and Phrases with lead

lead