Dictionary.net

a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray; "the children were playing with lead soldiers"

be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing"

an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job"

a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads"

the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy"

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"

mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine

an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the lead at the last turn"

a news story of major importance

(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first"

an actor who plays a principal role

result in; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin"

thin strip of metal used to separate lines of in printing

the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)

cause to undertake a certain action; "Her greed led her to forge the checks"

lead, as in the performance of a composition; "conduct an orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years"

travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John"

be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?"

tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests"

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".

lead, extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the basement"; "The road runs South"

cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire behind the cabinet"

be ahead of others; be the first; "she topped her class every year"

a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray; "the children were playing with lead soldiers"

be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing"

an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job"

a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads"

the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy"

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"

mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine

an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the lead at the last turn"

a news story of major importance

(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first"

an actor who plays a principal role

result in; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin"

One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic metal, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished. It is both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity, and is used for tubes, sheets, bullets, etc. Its specific gravity is 11.37. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic weight, 206.4. Symbol Pb (L. Plumbum). It is chiefly obtained from the mineral galena, lead sulphide.

An article made of lead or an alloy of lead

A plummet or mass of lead, used in sounding at sea.

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

Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs; hence, pl., a roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

A small cylinder of black lead or plumbago, used in pencils.

To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle.

To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter.

To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man.

To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, esp. by going with or going in advance of. Hence, figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to lead a traveler; to lead a pupil.

To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a search; to lead a political party.

To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages.

To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause.

To guide or conduct one's self in, through, or along (a certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course).

To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led.

To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices.

The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the lead; to be under the lead of another.

precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; as, the white horse had the lead; a lead of a boat's length, or of half a second.

The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played; as, your partner has the lead.

An open way in an ice field.

A lode.

The course of a rope from end to end.

The width of port opening which is uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its stroke.

the distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.

The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet.

The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts.

A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others.

In an internal-combustion engine, the distance, measured in actual length of piston stroke or the corresponding angular displacement of the crank, of the piston from the end of the compression stroke when ignition takes place; -- called in full lead of the ignition. When ignition takes place during the working stroke the corresponding distance from the commencement of the stroke is called negative lead.

The excess above a right angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine, on the same shaft.

In spiral screw threads, worm wheels, or the like, the amount of advance of any point in the spiral for a complete turn.

A conductor conveying electricity, as from a dynamo.

The angle between the line joining the brushes of a continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical between the poles.

The advance of the current phase in an alternating circuit beyond that of the electromotive force producing it.

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 lead, v. t.

A rle for a leading man or leading woman; also, one who plays such a rle.

One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic metal, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished. It is both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity, and is used for tubes, sheets, bullets, etc. Its specific gravity is 11.37. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic weight, 206.4. Symbol Pb (L. Plumbum). It is chiefly obtained from the mineral galena, lead sulphide.

An article made of lead or an alloy of lead

A plummet or mass of lead, used in sounding at sea.

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

Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs; hence, pl., a roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

A small cylinder of black lead or plumbago, used in pencils.

To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle.

To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter.

To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man.

To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, esp. by going with or going in advance of. Hence, figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to lead a traveler; to lead a pupil.

To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a search; to lead a political party.

To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages.

To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause.

To guide or conduct one's self in, through, or along (a certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course).

To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led.

To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices.

The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the lead; to be under the lead of another.

precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; as, the white horse had the lead; a lead of a boat's length, or of half a second.

The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played; as, your partner has the lead.

An open way in an ice field.

A lode.

The course of a rope from end to end.

The width of port opening which is uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its stroke.

the distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.

The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet.

The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts.

A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others.

In an internal-combustion engine, the distance, measured in actual length of piston stroke or the corresponding angular displacement of the crank, of the piston from the end of the compression stroke when ignition takes place; -- called in full lead of the ignition. When ignition takes place during the working stroke the corresponding distance from the commencement of the stroke is called negative lead.

The excess above a right angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine, on the same shaft.

In spiral screw threads, worm wheels, or the like, the amount of advance of any point in the spiral for a complete turn.

A conductor conveying electricity, as from a dynamo.

The angle between the line joining the brushes of a continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical between the poles.

The advance of the current phase in an alternating circuit beyond that of the electromotive force producing it.

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 lead, v. t.

A rle for a leading man or leading woman; also, one who plays such a rle.

A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.19, symbol Pb. (Dorland, 28th)

A soft, heavy, bluish-gray metal; a weight attached to a rope for sounding depths at sea; a thin strip of metal for separating lines of type in printing; a stick of graphite or black carbon used in pencils.

To cover, fit, or join with lead; in printing, to place thin metal strips between the lines of.

To conduct by the hand; as, to lead a little child; show the way to; guide by advice; to have the direction or control of; as, to lead an army; to go ahead of; to be first among; as, to lead one's class; induce; spend; as, to lead an unhappy life; to begin a game by playing (a cetrain card).

To take the first place; act as a guide, director, etc.; to take a course; as, the path leads through the woods; to conduct; as, the broad way leads to destruction; play the first card or domino.

Guidance; first place or position; in games, the right to play first or the play made.

Led.

Leading.

See Plumbum.

A well-known metal of a bluish-white color: the plummet for sounding at sea: a thin plate of lead separating lines of type:-pl. a flat roof covered with lead.

To cover or fit with lead: (print.) to separate lines with leads.

To show the way by going first: to guide by the hand: to direct: to precede: to allure.

To go before and show the way: to have a tendency: to exercise dominion:-pr.p. leading; pa.t. and pa.p. led.

First place: precedence: direction: guidance.

A soft heavy metal.

Leaden, of, or like, lead.

Precedence; guidance.

To cover or fit with lead.

To go before, as a guide; conduct; precede.

To guide by going before; precede; conduct; induce.

To act as guide; extend or reach.

To cover, fasten, fit, or fill up with lead; supply with leads, as type.

Position in advance; priority; guidance; command.

A soft, heavy, bluish - gray metal; some leaden object, as a thin slip to separate lines of type, a sinker, etc.

Graphite. black lead.

Plumbum- l. Black, Graphites- l. Chloride of, Plumbi chloridum- l. Colic, see Colica metallica- l. Iodide of, Plumbi iodidum- l. Nitrate of, Plumbi nitras- l. Oxyd of, semi-vitrified, Plumbi oxydum semivitreum.

A soft gray-blue metal with poisonous salts.

A metallic element usually occurring native in the form of a sulphid (galena), less often in other combinations, and very rarely uncombined. Symbol, Pb. (from plumbum); atomic weight, 206.9. The compounds of l. are poisonous, giving rise to lead colic, lead palsy, etc. It is a soft ductile metal of a bluish color. Upon exposure to the air only the surface is oxidized. In a compact mass it is not dissolved by sulphuric or hydrochloric acid. It has a low melting point and is used in the preparation of alloys. List of poisons and their antidotes, see in appendix.

n. [Anglo-Saxon] A well-known metal of a dull white colour with a cast of blue;— an article made of lead, as a plummet, used in sounding at sea a thin plate of type-metal, used to separate lines in printing;— a small cylinder of black lead or plumb ago, used in pencils;— sheets of lead used as a covering for roofs.