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lead on

 - 8 dictionary results

lead

1  [leed] verb, led, lead⋅ing, noun, adjective
–verb (used with object)
1. 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.
55. lead the way. way (def. 35).
56. lead up to,
a. to prepare the way for.
b. to approach (a subject, disclosure, etc.) gradually or evasively: I could tell by her allusions that she was leading up to something.
Use lead on in a Sentence
Origin:
bef. 900; ME leden, OE lǣdan (causative of līthan to go, travel); c. D leiden, G leiten, ON leitha

Synonyms:
1. accompany, precede. See guide. 3. persuade, convince. 10. excel, outstrip, surpass. 28. head, vanguard.

Antonyms:
1. follow.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To lead on
lead 1   (lēd)   
v.   led (lěd), lead·ing, leads

v.   tr.

  1. To show the way to by going in advance.

  2. To guide or direct in a course: lead a horse by the halter. See Synonyms at guide.

    1. To serve as a route for; take: The path led them to a cemetery.

    2. To be a channel or conduit for (water or electricity, for example).

    3. To direct the performance or activities of: lead an orchestra.

    4. To inspire the conduct of: led the nation in its crisis.

    5. To go or be at the head of: The queen led the procession. My name led the list.

    6. To be ahead of: led the runner-up by three strides.

    7. To be foremost in or among: led the field in nuclear research; led her teammates in free throws.

    8. To aim in front of (a moving target).

    9. Sports To pass a ball or puck ahead of (a moving teammate) so that the player can receive the pass without changing direction or losing momentum.

  4. To guide the behavior or opinion of; induce: led us to believe otherwise.

    1. To direct the performance or activities of: lead an orchestra.

    2. To inspire the conduct of: led the nation in its crisis.

    3. To go or be at the head of: The queen led the procession. My name led the list.

    4. To be ahead of: led the runner-up by three strides.

    5. To be foremost in or among: led the field in nuclear research; led her teammates in free throws.

    6. To aim in front of (a moving target).

    7. Sports To pass a ball or puck ahead of (a moving teammate) so that the player can receive the pass without changing direction or losing momentum.

  6. To play a principal or guiding role in: lead a discussion; led the antiwar movement.

    1. To go or be at the head of: The queen led the procession. My name led the list.

    2. To be ahead of: led the runner-up by three strides.

    3. To be foremost in or among: led the field in nuclear research; led her teammates in free throws.

    4. To aim in front of (a moving target).

    5. Sports To pass a ball or puck ahead of (a moving teammate) so that the player can receive the pass without changing direction or losing momentum.

  8. To pass or go through; live: lead an independent life.

  9. To begin or open with, as in games: led an ace.

  10. To guide (a partner) in dancing.

    1. To aim in front of (a moving target).

    2. Sports To pass a ball or puck ahead of (a moving teammate) so that the player can receive the pass without changing direction or losing momentum.

v.   intr.

  1. To be first; be ahead.

  2. To go first as a guide.

  3. To act as commander, director, or guide.

  4. To afford a passage, course, or route: a road that leads over the mountains; a door leading to the pantry.

  5. To tend toward a certain goal or result: a remark that led to further discussion; policies that led to disaster.

  6. To make the initial play, as in a game or contest.

  7. To begin a presentation or an account in a given way: The announcer led with the day's top stories.

    1. To guide a dance partner.

    2. To start a dance step on a specified foot.

  9. Baseball To advance a few paces away from one's base toward the next while the pitcher is in the delivery. Used of a base runner.

  10. Sports To begin an attack in boxing with a specified hand or punch: led with a right to the body.

n.  

    1. The first or foremost position.

    2. One occupying such a position; a leader.

    3. The initiative: took the lead in setting the pace of the project.

    4. Information pointing toward a possible solution; a clue: followed a promising lead in the murder case.

    5. An indication of potential opportunity; a tip: a good lead for a job.

    6. The principal role in a dramatic production.

    7. The person playing such a role.

    8. The introductory portion of a news story.

    9. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.

    10. The first play.

    11. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.

    12. A card played first in a round.

    13. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    14. See lode.

  2. The margin by which one holds a position of advantage or superiority: held a lead of nine points at the half.

    1. Information pointing toward a possible solution; a clue: followed a promising lead in the murder case.

    2. An indication of potential opportunity; a tip: a good lead for a job.

    3. The principal role in a dramatic production.

    4. The person playing such a role.

    5. The introductory portion of a news story.

    6. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.

    7. The first play.

    8. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.

    9. A card played first in a round.

    10. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    11. See lode.

  4. Command; leadership: took over the lead of the company.

  5. An example; a precedent: followed his sister's lead in running for office.

    1. The principal role in a dramatic production.

    2. The person playing such a role.

    3. The introductory portion of a news story.

    4. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.

    5. The first play.

    6. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.

    7. A card played first in a round.

    8. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    9. See lode.

    1. The introductory portion of a news story.

    2. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.

    3. The first play.

    4. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.

    5. A card played first in a round.

    6. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    7. See lode.

  8. Games

    1. The first play.

    2. The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.

    3. A card played first in a round.

    4. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    5. See lode.

  9. Baseball A position taken by a base runner away from one base in the direction of the next.

  10. Sports A blow in boxing that begins a series or exchange of punches.

  11. A leash.

  12. Geology

    1. A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.

    2. See lode.

  13. Electronics A conductor by which one circuit element is electrically connected to another.

  14. Nautical The direction in which a line runs.

  15. The distance aimed in front of a moving target.

  16. A channel of open water created by a break in a mass of ice.

adj.  

  1. First or foremost: the lead leg on a surfboard.

  2. Most important: the lead author of a research paper.

  3. To begin; start.

  4. Baseball To be the first batter in an inning.

  5. To keep in a state of expectation or hope; entice.

  6. To mislead; deceive.

Phrasal Verb(s):
lead off

  1. To begin; start.

  2. Baseball To be the first batter in an inning.

lead on

  1. To keep in a state of expectation or hope; entice.

  2. To mislead; deceive.


Idiom(s):
lead the way

  1. To show a course or route by going in advance.

  2. To be foremost in an endeavor or trend: The firm led the way in the application of new technology.


Idiom(s):
lead up to

  1. To result in by a series of steps: events leading up to the coup.

  2. To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks.


[Middle English leden, from Old English lǣdan; see leit- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

lead  (n.)
"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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: lead
Function: noun
: something serving as a tip, indication, or clue lead in the murder investigation>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2lead
Pronunciation: 'led
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : a heavy soft malleable ductile plastic but inelasticbluish white metallic element found mostly in combination and used especially in pipes, cable sheaths, batteries, solder, type metal, and shields against radioactivity —symbol Pb;—see ELEMENT table
2 : WHITELEAD
3 : TETRAETHYL LEAD
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

lead 2 (lěd)
n.
Symbol Pb
A soft ductile dense metallic element. Atomic number 82; atomic weight 207.19; melting point 327.5°C; boiling point 1,749deg;C; specific gravity 11.35; valence 2, 4.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
lead   (lěd)  Pronunciation Key 
Symbol 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

lead on

Entice someone into proceeding, mislead; also, deceive someone, especially pretending romantic interest. For example, He's leading her on to reveal more of her family history, or She's just leading him on; she has a serious boyfriend at home. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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