Meaning & Definition of Lead in English
Lead
noun
1. An advantage held by a competitor in a race
- "He took the lead at the last turn"
- lead
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"
- lead,
- Pb,
- atomic number 82
3. Evidence pointing to a possible solution
- "The police are following a promising lead"
- "The trail led straight to the perpetrator"
- lead,
- track,
- trail
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"
- 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)
- lead
6. The introductory section of a story
- "It was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter"
- lead,
- lead-in,
- lede
7. (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
- lead
8. An actor who plays a principal role
- star,
- principal,
- lead
9. (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
- "He took a long lead off first"
- lead
10. An indication of potential opportunity
- "He got a tip on the stock market"
- "A good lead for a job"
- tip,
- lead,
- steer,
- confidential information,
- wind,
- hint
11. A news story of major importance
- lead,
- lead story
12. The timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
- spark advance,
- lead
13. Restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
- leash,
- tether,
- lead
14. Thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
- lead,
- leading
15. Mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness
- The marking substance in a pencil
- lead,
- pencil lead
16. A jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
- "It was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads"
- jumper cable,
- jumper lead,
- lead,
- booster cable
17. The playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
- "The lead was in the dummy"
- lead
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"
- lead,
- take,
- direct,
- conduct,
- guide
2. Have as a result or residue
- "The water left a mark on the silk dress"
- "Her blood left a stain on the napkin"
- leave,
- result,
- lead
3. Tend to or result in
- "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests"
- lead
4. Travel in front of
- Go in advance of others
- "The procession was headed by john"
- lead,
- head
5. Cause to undertake a certain action
- "Her greed led her to forge the checks"
- lead
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"
- run,
- go,
- pass,
- lead,
- extend
7. Be in charge of
- "Who is heading this project?"
- head,
- lead
8. Be ahead of others
- Be the first
- "She topped her class every year"
- lead,
- top
9. Be conducive to
- "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing"
- contribute,
- lead,
- conduce
10. Lead, as in the performance of a composition
- "Conduct an orchestra
- Barenboim conducted the chicago symphony for years"
- conduct,
- lead,
- direct
11. Lead, extend, or afford access
- "This door goes to the basement"
- "The road runs south"
- go,
- lead
12. Move ahead (of others) in time or space
- precede,
- lead
13. Cause something to pass or lead somewhere
- "Run the wire behind the cabinet"
- run,
- lead
14. Preside over
- "John moderated the discussion"
- moderate,
- chair,
- lead