leadoff

[ leed-awf, -of ]

/ ˈlidˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for leadoff on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act that starts something; start; beginning.

Baseball. the player who is first in the batting order or who is first to bat for a team in an inning.

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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Origin of leadoff

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase lead off

Other definitions for leadoff (2 of 2)

lead-off

[ leed-awf, -of ]

/ ˈlidˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

adjective

leading off or beginning: the lead-off item on the agenda.

Origin of lead-off

First recorded in 1885–90; adj. use of verb phrase lead off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use leadoff in a sentence

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
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 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
These differences of interests will lead to disputes, ill blood, and finally to separation.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
I looked round to see where our help was most wanted, and was about to lead them forward, when I heard the voice of the Alcalde.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He was mounted on a spirited horse and his manner showed he was ready for any kind of an adventure, no matter where it might lead.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The slightest yellowish-brown discoloration indicates the presence of lead.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for leadoff

lead off

/ (liːd) /

verb (adverb)

to initiate the action of (something); begin

noun lead-off

an initial move or action

a person or thing that begins something

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with leadoff