Lead

English Meaning

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.

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.
3. To serve as a route for; take: The path led them to a cemetery.
4. To be a channel or conduit for (water or electricity, for example).
5. To guide the behavior or opinion of; induce: led us to believe otherwise.
6. To direct the performance or activities of: lead an orchestra.
7. To inspire the conduct of: led the nation in its crisis.
8. To play a principal or guiding role in: lead a discussion; led the antiwar movement.
9. To go or be at the head of: The queen led the procession. My name led the list.
10. To be ahead of: led the runner-up by three strides.
11. To be foremost in or among: led the field in nuclear research; led her teammates in free throws.
12. To pass or go through; live: lead an independent life.
13. To begin or open with, as in games: led an ace.
14. To guide (a partner) in dancing.
15. To aim in front of (a moving target).
16. 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.
17. To be first; be ahead.
18. To go first as a guide.
19. To act as commander, director, or guide.
20. To afford a passage, course, or route: a road that leads over the mountains; a door leading to the pantry.
21. To tend toward a certain goal or result: a remark that led to further discussion; policies that led to disaster.
22. To make the initial play, as in a game or contest.
23. To begin a presentation or an account in a given way: The announcer led with the day's top stories.
24. To guide a dance partner.
25. To start a dance step on a specified foot.
26. 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.
27. Sports To begin an attack in boxing with a specified hand or punch: led with a right to the body.
28. The first or foremost position.
29. One occupying such a position; a leader.
30. The initiative: took the lead in setting the pace of the project.
31. The margin by which one holds a position of advantage or superiority: held a lead of nine points at the half.
32. Information pointing toward a possible solution; a clue: followed a promising lead in the murder case.
33. An indication of potential opportunity; a tip: a good lead for a job.
34. Command; leadership: took over the lead of the company.
35. An example; a precedent: followed his sister's lead in running for office.
36. The principal role in a dramatic production.
37. The person playing such a role.
38. The introductory portion of a news story.
39. An important, usually prominently displayed news story.
40. Games The first play.
41. Games The prerogative or turn to make the first play: The lead passes to the player on the left.
42. Games A card played first in a round.
43. Baseball A position taken by a base runner away from one base in the direction of the next.
44. Sports A blow in boxing that begins a series or exchange of punches.
45. A leash.
46. Geology A deposit of gold ore in an old riverbed.
47. Geology See lode.
48. Electronics A conductor by which one circuit element is electrically connected to another.
49. Nautical The direction in which a line runs.
50. The distance aimed in front of a moving target.
51. A channel of open water created by a break in a mass of ice.
52. First or foremost: the lead leg on a surfboard.
53. Most important: the lead author of a research paper.
54. lead off To begin; start.
55. lead off Baseball To be the first batter in an inning.
56. lead on To keep in a state of expectation or hope; entice.
57. lead on To mislead; deceive.
58. lead the way To show a course or route by going in advance.
59. lead the way To be foremost in an endeavor or trend: The firm led the way in the application of new technology.
60. lead up to To result in by a series of steps: events leading up to the coup.
61. lead up to To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks.
62. 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.
63. A lead weight suspended by a line, used to make soundings.
64. Bullets from or for firearms; shot: pumped the target full of lead.
65. Strips of lead used to hold the panes of a window.
66. Printing A thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type.
67. Chiefly British A flat roof covered with sheets of lead.
68. Any of various, often graphitic compositions used as the writing substance in pencils.
69. A thin stick of such material.
70. To cover, line, weight, or fill with lead.
71. Printing To provide space between (lines of type) with leads.
72. To secure (window glass) with leads.
73. To treat with lead or a lead compound: leaded gasoline; leaded paint.
74. get the lead out Informal To start moving or move more rapidly.