to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort: to lead a group on a cross-country hike.
2.
to conduct by holding and guiding: to lead a horse by a rope.
3.
to influence or induce; cause: Subsequent events led him to reconsider his position.
4.
to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.; bring: You can lead her around to your point of view if you are persistent.
5.
to conduct or bring (water, wire, etc.) in a particular course.
6.
(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.
7.
to take or bring: The prisoners were led into the warden's office.
8.
to command or direct (an army or other large organization): He led the Allied forces during the war.
9.
to go at the head of or in advance of (a procession, list, body, etc.); proceed first in: The mayor will lead the parade.
10.
to be superior to; have the advantage over: The first baseman leads his teammates in runs batted in.
11.
to have top position or first place in: Iowa leads the nation in corn production.
12.
to have the directing or principal part in: The minister will now lead us in prayer. He led a peace movement.
13.
to act as leader of (an orchestra, band, etc.); conduct.
14.
to go through or pass (time, life, etc.): to lead a full life.
15.
Cards. to begin a round, game, etc., with (a card or suit specified).
16.
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.
17.
Football. to throw a lead pass to (an intended receiver): The quarterback led the left end.
–verb (used without object)
18.
to act as a guide; show the way: You lead and we'll follow.
19.
to afford passage to a place: That path leads directly to the house.
20.
to go first; be in advance: The band will lead and the troops will follow.
21.
to result in; tend toward (usually fol. by to): The incident led to his resignation. One remark often leads to another.
22.
to take the directing or principal part.
23.
to take the offensive: The contender led with a right to the body.
24.
Cards. to make the first play.
25.
to be led or submit to being led, as a horse: A properly trained horse will lead easily.
26.
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 fol. by away).
27.
lead back, to play (a card) from a suit that one's partner led.
–noun
28.
the first or foremost place; position in advance of others: He took the lead in the race.
29.
the extent of such an advance position: He had a lead of four lengths.
30.
a person or thing that leads.
31.
a leash.
32.
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.
33.
a guide or indication of a road, course, method, etc., to follow.
34.
precedence; example; leadership: They followed the lead of the capital in their fashions.
35.
Theater.
a.
the principal part in a play.
b.
the person who plays it.
36.
Cards.
a.
the act or right of playing first, as in a round.
b.
the card, suit, etc., so played.
37.
Journalism.
a.
a short summary serving as an introduction to a news story, article, or other copy.
b.
the main and often most important news story.
38.
Electricity. an often flexible and insulated single conductor, as a wire, used in connections between pieces of electric apparatus.
39.
the act of taking the offensive.
40.
Nautical.
a.
the direction of a rope, wire, or chain.
b.
Also called leader.any of various devices for guiding a running rope.
41.
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.
42.
an open channel through a field of ice.
43.
Mining.
a.
a lode.
b.
an auriferous deposit in an old riverbed.
44.
the act of aiming a gun ahead of a moving target.
45.
the distance ahead of a moving target that a gun must be aimed in order to score a direct hit.
46.
Baseball. an act or instance of leading.
47.
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
48.
most important; principal; leading; first: lead editorial; lead elephant.
49.
Football. (of a forward pass) thrown ahead of the intended receiver so as to allow him to catch it while running.
50.
Baseball. (of a base runner) nearest to scoring: They forced the lead runner at third base on an attempted sacrifice.
—Verb phrases
51.
lead off,
a.
to take the initiative; begin.
b.
Baseball. to be the first player in the batting order or the first batter in an inning.
52.
lead on,
a.
to induce to follow an unwise course of action; mislead.
b.
to cause or encourage to believe something that is not true.
53.
lead out,
a.
to make a beginning.
b.
to escort a partner to begin a dance: He led her out and they began a rumba.
—Idioms
54.
lead someone a chase or dance, to cause someone difficulty by forcing to do irksome or unnecessary things.
Chemistry. a heavy, comparatively soft, malleable, bluish-gray metal, sometimes found in its natural state but usually combined as a sulfide, esp. in galena. Symbol:Pb; atomic weight:207.19; atomic number:82; specific gravity:11.34 at 20°C.
2.
something made of this metal or of one of its alloys.
3.
a plummet or mass of lead suspended by a line, as for taking soundings.
4.
bullets collectively; shot.
5.
black lead or graphite.
6.
a small stick of graphite, as used in pencils.
7.
Also, leading.Printing. a thin strip of type metal or brass less than type-high, used for increasing the space between lines of type.
8.
a grooved bar of lead or came in which sections of glass are set, as in stained-glass windows.
9.
leads, British. a roof, esp. one that is shallow or flat, covered with lead.
Symbol Pb A soft, malleable, ductile, bluish-white, dense metallic element, extracted chiefly from galena and used in containers and pipes for corrosives, solder and type metal, bullets, radiation shielding, paints, and antiknock compounds. 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 Table at element.
A lead weight suspended by a line, used to make soundings.
Bullets from or for firearms; shot: pumped the target full of lead.
leads Strips of lead used to hold the panes of a window.
Abbr. ld.Printing A thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type.
leadsChiefly British A flat roof covered with sheets of lead.
Any of various, often graphitic compositions used as the writing substance in pencils.
A thin stick of such material.
v.
tr.lead·ed, lead·ing, leads
To cover, line, weight, or fill with lead.
Printing To provide space between (lines of type) with leads.
To secure (window glass) with leads.
To treat with lead or a lead compound: leaded gasoline; leaded paint.
[Middle English led, from Old English lēad, probably of Celtic origin.]
"to guide," O.E. lædan "cause to go with one, lead," causative of liðan "to travel," from W.Gmc. *laithjan (cf. O.S. lithan, O.N. liða "to go," O.H.G. ga-lidan "to travel," Goth. ga-leiþan "to go"). Meaning "to be in first place" is from c.1380. The noun is first recorded c.1300, "action of leading." Meaning "the front or leading place" is from 1570. Johnson stigmatized it as "a low, despicable word." Sense in card-playing is from 1742; in theater, from 1831; in journalism, from 1927; in jazz bands, from 1934. Leader "one who leads" is from c.1300; as shortened form of leading article (1807) "prominent newspaper piece giving editorial opinion" it dates from 1837. Leadership first attested 1821.
"heavy metal," O.E. lead, from W.Gmc. *loudhom (cf. O.Fris. lad, M.Du. loot "lead," Ger. Lot "weight, plummet"). The name and the skill in using the metal seem to have been borrowed from the Celts (cf. O.Ir. luaide, probably from PIE base *plou(d)- "to flow"). Black lead was an old name for "graphite," hence lead pencil (1688) and the colloquial fig. phrase to have lead in one's pencil "be possessed of (esp. male sexual) vigor," first attested 1941 in Australian slang. Adjective form leaden is a relic of O.E. The fig. sense of "heavy, oppressive, dull" is first attested 1577. Lead balloon "a failure" is from 1960, Amer.Eng. slang. 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.
an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the lead at the last turn"
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"
3.
evidence pointing to a possible solution; "the police are following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to the perpetrator"
4.
a position of leadership (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"
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)
6.
the introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter"
7.
(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning [ant: deficit]
(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first"
10.
an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job" [syn: tip]
11.
a news story of major importance
12.
the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine [syn: spark advance]
13.
restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal [syn: leash]
14.
thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
15.
mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
16.
a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads" [syn: jumper cable]
17.
the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy"
verb
1.
take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to the palace"
2.
have as a result or residue; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin" [syn: leave]
3.
tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests"
4.
travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John"
5.
cause to undertake a certain action; "Her greed led her to forge the checks"
6.
stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point; "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets" [syn: run]
7.
be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?" [syn: head]
8.
be ahead of others; be the first; "she topped her class every year"
9.
be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing" [syn: contribute]
10.
lead, as in the performance of a composition; "conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years" [syn: conduct]
11.
lead, extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the basement"; "The road runs South" [syn: go]
12.
move ahead (of others) in time or space [syn: precede] [ant: follow]
13.
cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire behind the cabinet" [syn: run]
14.
preside over; "John moderated the discussion" [syn: moderate]
to guide or direct or cause to go in a certain direction Example: Follow my car and I'll lead you to the motorway; She took the child by the hand and led him across the road; He was leading the horse into the stable; The sound of hammering led us to the garage; You led us to believe that we would be paid!
Arabic:
يَقود
Chinese (Simplified):
引导
Chinese (Traditional):
引導
Czech:
vést; přimět
Danish:
lede; føre
Dutch:
leiden
Estonian:
juhtima
Finnish:
johtaa, ohjata
French:
conduire, mener
German:
führen
Greek:
οδηγώ, καθοδηγώ
Hungarian:
vezet, irányít
Icelandic:
leiða, vera í fararbroddi
Indonesian:
menuntun
Japanese:
導く
Korean:
이끌다
Latvian:
vest; vadīt
Lithuanian:
vesti, vadovauti, skatinti
Norwegian:
lede, leie; føre
Polish:
prowadzić, wieść
Portuguese (Brazil):
conduzir
Portuguese (Portugal):
levar
Russian:
вести
Slovak:
viesť; priviesť
Slovenian:
(pri)peljati
Spanish:
llevar, conducir
Swedish:
leda
Turkish:
yol göstermek, götürmek
lead2[liːd]verb
to go or carry to a particular place or along a particular course Example: A small path leads through the woods.
Arabic:
يوصِلُ
Chinese (Simplified):
通向
Chinese (Traditional):
通向
Czech:
vést
Danish:
føre
Dutch:
voeren
Estonian:
viima
Finnish:
johtaa
French:
mener
German:
führen
Greek:
οδηγώ σε, πηγαίνω προς
Hungarian:
vezet
Icelandic:
liggja
Indonesian:
menuju
Japanese:
～へ通じる
Korean:
(길 등이) 이르다
Latvian:
vest; aizvest
Lithuanian:
eiti, vesti
Norwegian:
lede, bære
Polish:
prowadzić, wieść
Portuguese (Brazil):
levar
Portuguese (Portugal):
conduzir
Romanian:
a duce
Russian:
вести
Slovak:
viesť
Slovenian:
voditi
Spanish:
llevar
Swedish:
leda, gå
Turkish:
gitmek, çıkmak
lead3[liːd]verb
(withto) to cause or bring about a certain situation or state of affairs Example: The heavy rain led to serious floods.
Arabic:
يُؤَدّي، يُسَبِّب
Chinese (Simplified):
导致
Chinese (Traditional):
導致
Czech:
způsobit
Danish:
medføre
Dutch:
als gevolg hebben
Estonian:
kaasa tooma
Finnish:
johtaa
French:
entraîner
German:
führen
Greek:
προκαλώ
Hungarian:
vezet vmire
Icelandic:
leiða til, orsaka
Indonesian:
menimbulkan
Japanese:
引き起こす
Korean:
(어떤 결과에) 이르다
Latvian:
novest (līdz kādam stāvoklim)
Lithuanian:
sukelti, būti priežastimi
Norwegian:
føre (til)
Polish:
(do)prowadzić (do)
Portuguese (Brazil):
levar
Portuguese (Portugal):
dar origem
Romanian:
a duce (la)
Russian:
приводить к
Slovak:
spôsobiť
Slovenian:
povzročiti
Spanish:
ocasionar
Swedish:
leda till
Turkish:
yol açmak, neden olmak
lead4[liːd]verb
to be first (in) Example: An official car led the procession; He is still leading in the competition.
Arabic:
يسير في المُقَدِّمَه
Chinese (Simplified):
领先
Chinese (Traditional):
領先
Czech:
být v čele; vést
Danish:
føre
Dutch:
voorgaan
Estonian:
juhtima
Finnish:
johtaa
French:
mener
German:
anführen
Greek:
είμαι επικεφαλής, προηγούμαι
Hungarian:
vezet
Icelandic:
leiða, vera í forystu
Indonesian:
memimpin
Japanese:
先頭に立つ
Korean:
선두에 서서 가다
Latvian:
būt vadībā, *priekšgalā
Lithuanian:
būti priekyje, pirmauti
Norwegian:
gå i spissen for, lede (an)
Polish:
prowadzić
Portuguese (Brazil):
estar à frente
Portuguese (Portugal):
ir à frente
Romanian:
a conduce
Russian:
быть впереди; занимать первое место
Slovak:
byť na čele
Slovenian:
biti na čelu
Spanish:
liderar
Swedish:
leda, vara (gå, ligga) i täten
Turkish:
önde, *başta olmak, başta gitmek
lead5[liːd]verb
to live (a certain kind of life) Example: She leads a pleasant existence on a Greek island.
Arabic:
يعيشُ
Chinese (Simplified):
使…过（某种生活）
Chinese (Traditional):
使…過(某種生活)
Czech:
vést
Danish:
leve; føre
Dutch:
leiden
Estonian:
veetma
Finnish:
viettää
French:
mener
German:
führen
Greek:
διάγω, περνώ
Hungarian:
vmilyen életet él
Icelandic:
lifa
Indonesian:
menghayati
Japanese:
過ごす
Korean:
지내다
Latvian:
dzīvot
Lithuanian:
gyventi
Norwegian:
føre
Polish:
prowadzić, wieść
Portuguese (Brazil):
levar
Portuguese (Portugal):
levar
Romanian:
a duce, a trăi
Russian:
вести какой-л. образ жизни
Slovak:
viesť
Slovenian:
imeti
Spanish:
llevar
Swedish:
föra, leva
Turkish:
sürmek, yaşamak
lead1[liːd]noun
the front place or position Example: He has taken over the lead in the race.
Arabic:
المَركِز الأوَّل، المُقَدِّمَه
Chinese (Simplified):
领先
Chinese (Traditional):
首位
Czech:
čelo, vedení
Danish:
føring
Dutch:
leidersplaats
Estonian:
juhtkoht
French:
tête
German:
die Führung
Greek:
η πρώτη θέση
Hungarian:
vezetés
Icelandic:
forysta
Indonesian:
tempat terdepan
Japanese:
首位
Korean:
선두
Latvian:
vadība
Lithuanian:
pirmenybė, priešakinė pozicija
Norwegian:
ledelse, tet
Polish:
prowadzenie, kierownictwo
Portuguese (Brazil):
frente
Portuguese (Portugal):
liderança
Romanian:
conducere; primul loc
Russian:
первое место
Slovak:
vedenie
Slovenian:
vodstvo
Spanish:
delantera
Swedish:
ledning, tät
Turkish:
ilk, *ön sıra, baş taraf
lead2[liːd]noun
the state of being first Example: We have a lead over the rest of the world in this kind of research.
Arabic:
ريادَه، المكان الأوَّل
Chinese (Simplified):
领先
Chinese (Traditional):
領先
Czech:
prvenství
Danish:
føring
Dutch:
voorsprong
Estonian:
juhtkoht
French:
avance
German:
die Führung
Greek:
πρωτοπορία, προβάδισμα
Hungarian:
elsőség
Icelandic:
forysta
Indonesian:
pelopor
Japanese:
先頭
Korean:
우세, 앞서기
Latvian:
vadība; pārsvars
Lithuanian:
pranašumas
Norwegian:
ledelse
Polish:
przewaga
Portuguese (Brazil):
vanguarda
Portuguese (Portugal):
liderança
Romanian:
întâietate
Russian:
первенство
Slovak:
prvenstvo
Slovenian:
prednost
Spanish:
liderato
Swedish:
ledande ställning
Turkish:
önde oluş
lead3[liːd]noun
the act of leading Example: We all followed his lead.
Arabic:
قِيادَه
Chinese (Simplified):
领导
Chinese (Traditional):
領導
Czech:
příklad
Danish:
ledelse
Dutch:
voorbeeld
Estonian:
eeskuju
French:
exemple
German:
die Führung
Greek:
καθοδήγηση, παράδειγμα
Hungarian:
vezetőszerep
Icelandic:
forysta
Indonesian:
teladan
Japanese:
指揮
Korean:
지휘, 앞장서기
Latvian:
paraugs; piemērs
Lithuanian:
pavyzdys
Norwegian:
ledelse, førerskap
Polish:
przykład
Portuguese (Brazil):
liderança
Portuguese (Portugal):
chefia
Romanian:
exemplu
Russian:
руководство
Slovak:
príklad
Slovenian:
vodenje
Spanish:
liderazgo
Swedish:
ledning, tät
Turkish:
kılavuzluk, rehberlik
lead4[liːd]noun
the amount by which one is ahead of others Example: He has a lead of twenty metres (over the man in second place).
Arabic:
سَبْق
Chinese (Simplified):
领先的程度
Chinese (Traditional):
領先的程度
Czech:
náskok
Danish:
føring
Dutch:
voorsprong
Estonian:
edumaa
French:
avance
German:
der Vorsprung
Greek:
προβάδισμα
Hungarian:
vezet vmennyivel
Icelandic:
forskot
Indonesian:
mendahului
Japanese:
リードした差
Korean:
앞선 거리
Latvian:
vadība; pārsvars
Lithuanian:
persvara
Norwegian:
forsprang
Polish:
przewaga
Portuguese (Brazil):
vantagem
Portuguese (Portugal):
vantagem
Russian:
преимущество
Slovak:
náskok
Slovenian:
prednost
Spanish:
ventaja
Swedish:
försprång
Turkish:
mesafe, ara
lead5[liːd]noun
a leather strap or chain for leading a dog etc Example: All dogs must be kept on a lead.
Arabic:
رَسَن للكلاب، حِزام جِلْدي
Chinese (Simplified):
（牵狗等用的）皮带
Chinese (Traditional):
(牽狗等用的)皮帶
Czech:
šňůra
Danish:
snor
Dutch:
lijn
Estonian:
ohelik
French:
laisse
German:
die Leine
Greek:
λουρί σκύλου
Hungarian:
póráz
Icelandic:
ól, band
Indonesian:
rantai anjing dsb
Japanese:
引きひも
Korean:
(개·가축의) 끄는 줄
Latvian:
(suņa) saite
Lithuanian:
pavadėlis, saitas
Norwegian:
bånd, reim
Polish:
smycz, postronek
Portuguese (Brazil):
trela
Portuguese (Portugal):
trela
Romanian:
lesă; căpăstru
Russian:
поводок
Slovak:
vôdzka, remeň
Slovenian:
(pasja) vrvica
Spanish:
correa
Swedish:
koppel
Turkish:
tasma kayışı, *zinciri
lead6[liːd]noun
a piece of information which will help to solve a mystery etc Example: The police have several leads concerning the identity of the thief.
Arabic:
مَعلومات
Chinese (Simplified):
线索
Chinese (Traditional):
線索
Czech:
vodítko
Danish:
spor; fingerpeg
Dutch:
aanwijzing
Estonian:
juhtlõng
French:
piste
German:
der Hinweis
Greek:
στοιχείο, πληροφορία
Hungarian:
nyom
Icelandic:
vísbending
Indonesian:
petunjuk
Japanese:
手がかり
Korean:
실마리
Latvian:
pavediens (nozieguma u.tml. atklāšanai)
Lithuanian:
svarbus pranešimas, *parodymas, įkaltis
Norwegian:
spor, hint
Polish:
poszlaka
Portuguese (Brazil):
fio condutor
Portuguese (Portugal):
pista
Romanian:
pistă
Russian:
версия
Slovak:
tip (na)
Slovenian:
sled
Spanish:
pista
Swedish:
ledtråd
Turkish:
ipucu
lead7[liːd]noun
a leading part in a play etc Example: Who plays the lead in that film?
Arabic:
الدَّوْر الرَّئيسي
Chinese (Simplified):
主角
Chinese (Traditional):
主角
Czech:
hlavní role
Danish:
hovedrolle
Dutch:
hoofdrol
Estonian:
peaosa
French:
rôle principal
German:
die Hauptrolle
Greek:
πρωταγωνιστικός ρόλος
Hungarian:
főszerep
Icelandic:
aðalhlutverk
Indonesian:
peran utama
Japanese:
主役
Korean:
주연
Latvian:
galvenā loma
Lithuanian:
pagrindinis vaidmuo
Norwegian:
hovedrolle, helt(inne)
Polish:
główna rola
Portuguese (Brazil):
papel principal
Portuguese (Portugal):
papel principal
Romanian:
rol principal
Russian:
главная роль
Slovak:
hlavná úloha
Slovenian:
glavna vloga
Spanish:
primer papel, papel principal, papel protagonista
Swedish:
huvudroll
Turkish:
baş rol
lead1[led]noun
(also adjective) (of) an element, a soft, heavy, bluish-grey metal Example: lead pipes; Are these pipes made of lead or copper?
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [leed] Pronunciation Key verb, led, lead·ing, noun, adjective