lead
adjective
1. (not comparable) Foremost.
- The contestants are all tied; no one has the lead position.
noun
1. an advantage held by a competitor in a race
- he took the lead at the last turn
Definition categories: attribute, advantage, vantage
2. a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
- the children were playing with lead soldiers
Definition categories: substance, metal
3. evidence pointing to a possible solution
- the police are following a promising lead
Definition categories: thought, evidence, grounds
4. a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
- he takes the lead in any group
- we were just waiting for someone to take the lead
- they didn't follow our lead
Definition categories: act, leadership, leading
5. the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
Definition categories: shape, angle
6. the introductory section of a story
- it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter
Similar word(s): lede
Definition categories: communication, section, subdivision
7. (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
Definition categories: quantity, score
8. an actor who plays a principal role
Similar word(s): principal, star
Definition categories: person, actor, histrion, player, thespian
9. (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
- he took a long lead off first
Definition categories: location, place, position
10. an indication of potential opportunity
- a good lead for a job
Similar word(s): hint, steer, tip, wind
Definition categories: communication, counsel, counseling, counselling, direction, guidance
11. a news story of major importance
Definition categories: communication
12. the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
Definition categories: attribute, timing
13. restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
Similar word(s): leash, tether
Definition categories: man–made, constraint, restraint
14. thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
Similar word(s): leading
Definition categories: man–made, slip, strip
15. mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
Definition categories: man–made, graphite, plumbago
16. a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
- it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads
Definition categories: man–made, jumper, wire
17. the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
- the lead was in the dummy
Definition categories: act, play, turn
Sentences with lead as a noun:
- This copy has too much lead; I prefer less space between the lines.
- They pumped him full of lead.
- The runner took his lead from first.
- The investigation stalled when all leads turned out to be dead ends.
- Joe is a great addition to our sales team, he has numerous leads in the paper industry.
verb
1. take somebody somewhere
- We lead him to our chief
Similar word(s): conduct, direct, guide, take
Definition categories: motion
2. produce as a result or residue
Similar word(s): leave, result
Definition categories: stative, produce
3. tend to or result in
- This remark lead to further arguments among the guests
Definition categories: stative, lead, leave, result
4. travel in front of; go in advance of others
Similar word(s): head
Definition categories: motion, lead, precede
5. cause to undertake a certain action
Definition categories: communication, cause, get, have, induce, make, stimulate
6. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
Similar word(s): extend, go, pass, run
Definition categories: stative, be
7. be in charge of
Similar word(s): head
Definition categories: social, direct
8. be ahead of others; be the first
Similar word(s): top
Definition categories: stative
9. be conducive to
- The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing
Similar word(s): conduce, contribute
Definition categories: social, advance, boost, encourage, further, promote
10. lead, as in the performance of a composition
Similar word(s): conduct, direct
Definition categories: creation, do, execute, perform
11. lead, extend, or afford access
Similar word(s): go
Definition categories: stative, be
12. move ahead (of others) in time or space
Similar word(s): precede
Definition categories: motion, go, locomote, move, travel
13. cause something to pass or lead somewhere
Similar word(s): run
Definition categories: stative, pass
14. preside over
Similar word(s): chair, moderate
Definition categories: communication, discuss
Sentences with lead as a verb:
- to lead a page; leaded matter
- a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man
- The evidence leads me to believe he is guilty.
- the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages
- The batter always leads off base.
- the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices