leader

[lee-der]

noun

1. a person or thing that leads.

2. a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group.

3. Music.

   1. a conductor or director, as of an orchestra, band, or chorus.

   2. the player at the head of the first violins in an orchestra, the principal cornetist in a band, or the principal soprano in a chorus, to whom any incidental solos are usually assigned.

4. a featured article of trade, especially one offered at a low price to attract customers.

5. Journalism.

   1. leading article.

   2. Also called leading article. British.,  the principal editorial in a newspaper.

6. blank film or tape at the beginning of a length of film or magnetic tape, used for threading a motion-picture camera, tape recorder, etc.

7. Angling.

   1. a length of nylon, silkworm gut, wire, or the like, to which the lure or hook is attached.

   2. the net used to direct fish into a weir, pound, etc.

8. a pipe for conveying rainwater downward, as from a roof; downspout.

9. a horse harnessed at the front of a team.

10. Printing.,  leaders, a row of dots or a short line to lead the eye across a space.

11. Nautical.,  lead.

12. a duct for conveying warm air from a hot-air furnace to a register or stack.

13. Mining.,  a thin vein of ore connected with a large vein.

leader

/ ˈliːdə /

noun

1. a person who rules, guides, or inspires others; head

2. music

   1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): concertmaster. the principal first violinist of an orchestra, who plays solo parts, and acts as the conductor's deputy and spokesman for the orchestra

   2. a conductor or director of an orchestra or chorus

3. 1. the first man on a climbing rope

   2. the leading horse or dog in a team

4. an article offered at a sufficiently low price to attract customers See also loss leader

5. a statistic or index that gives an advance indication of the state of the economy

6. Also called: leading article. the leading editorial in a newspaper

7. angling another word for trace 2 cast

8. nautical another term for fairlead

9. a strip of blank film or tape used to facilitate threading a projector, developing machine, etc, and to aid identification

10. (plural) printing rows of dots or hyphens used to guide the reader's eye across a page, as in a table of contents

11. botany any of the long slender shoots that grow from the stem or branch of a tree: usually removed during pruning

12. a member of the Government having primary authority in initiating legislative business (esp in the phrases Leader of the House of Commons and Leader of the House of Lords )

13. the senior barrister, usually a Queen's Counsel, in charge of the conduct of a case Compare junior

Other Word Forms

• leaderless adjective
• subleader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leader¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English leder(e); lead ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The other four automatic African qualifiers for the World Cup will be decided on Monday and Tuesday with Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Senegal the group leaders.

Read more on Barron's

The government often refers to her as "la sayona," a word that evokes a spirit in Venezuelan folklore who, like the opposition leader, has white skin and straight black hair.

Read more on Barron's

Australia has been a leader in global efforts to prevent internet harm, but current legislation offers almost no details on how the ban will be enforced.

Read more on Barron's

Informal talks are taking place, focused on short-term extensions mixed with changes to the program, but party leaders have remained firmly dug in to their positions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On Saturday hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv and chanted their gratitude to the US leader.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• chief 
• commander 
• director 
• head 
• manager 
• officer 
• ruler