lead

A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82.uncountable

A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or to estimate velocity in knots.countable

• Although I could distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving the lead, I found the ship in fifteen fathoms.

A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.countableuncountable

Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.uncountable

• This copy has too much lead; I prefer less space between the lines.

Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.countableuncountable

A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.countable

• I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top.
• These rooms were on a level with the apartments of our friends Bows and Costigan next door at No. 4; and by reaching over the communicating leads, Grady could command the mignonette-box which bloomed in Bows’s window.

A thin cylinder of graphite used in pencils.countable

Bullets; ammunition.countableslanguncountable

• They pumped him full of lead.

X-ray protective clothing lined with lead.countablein-pluraluncountable

• You must remember to wear your leads.

To cover, fill, or affect with lead.transitive

• continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle.

To place leads between the lines of.historicaltransitive

• to lead a page
• leaded matter

To guide or conduct.; To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection.transitive

• a father leads a child
• a jockey leads a horse with a halter

To guide or conduct.; To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, especially by going with or going in advance of; to guide somebody somewhere or to bring somebody somewhere by means of instructions.transitive

• The guide was able to lead the tourists through the jungle safely.

To guide or conduct.; To direct; to counsel; to instruct.figurativelytransitive

• A good teacher should lead their students to the right answer.

To guide or conduct.; To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; to command, especially a military or business unit.transitive

• to lead a political party
• to lead the search team

To guide or conduct.; To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure.transitive

• to lead someone to a righteous cause

To guide or conduct.; To influence towards a belief, a conclusion, etc.transitive

• The evidence leads me to believe he is guilty.

To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preeminence; to be first or chief; — used in most of the senses of the transitive verb.intransitive

To begin, to be ahead.; To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among.transitive

• the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages
• 1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way.

To begin, to be ahead.; To proceed in front of others; to go first.intransitive

• The standard-bearers led and the rest of the marchers followed.

To begin, to be ahead.; To be more advanced in technology or business than others.intransitive

• It leads in the information technology sector.

The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction, coursecountable

• to take the lead
• to be under the lead of another

Precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; the state of being ahead in a race; the highest score in an incomplete game.countable

• the white horse had the lead.
• to be in the lead

An insulated metallic wire for electrical devices and equipment.UKcountable

The situation where a runner steps away from a base while waiting for the pitch to be thrown.countableuncountable

• The runner took his lead from first.

The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so playeduncountable

• your partner has the lead

The main role in a play or film; the lead role.countableuncountable

• "You make moving pictures. In jungles and places." "That's me. And I've picked you for the lead in my next picture."

The actor who plays the main role; lead actor.countableuncountable

The person in charge of a project or a work shift etc.countableuncountable

• John is the development lead on this software product.

A channel of open water in an ice field.countable

A lode.countable

Foremost.not-comparable

• The contestants are all tied; no one has the lead position.

Main, principal, primary, first, chief, foremost.not-comparable

• the lead guitarist in band
• the lead developer on a software project

Misspelling of led.alt-ofmisspelling