lead
[1]
vb , leads, leading, led
1 to show the way to (an individual or a group) by going with or ahead
lead the party into the garden
2 to guide or be guided by holding, pulling, etc.
he led the horse by its reins
3 tr to cause to act, feel, think, or behave in a certain way; induce; influence
he led me to believe that he would go
4 tr to phrase a question to (a witness) that tends to suggest the desired answer
5 when intr, foll by: to (of a road, route, etc.) to serve as the means of reaching a place
6 tr to go ahead so as to indicate (esp. in the phrase lead the way)
7 to guide, control, or direct
to lead an army
8 tr to direct the course of or conduct (water, a rope or wire, etc.) along or as if along a channel
9 to initiate the action of (something); have the principal part in (something)
to lead a discussion
10 to go at the head of or have the top position in (something)
he leads his class in geography
11 intr; foll by: with to have as the first or principal item
the newspaper led with the royal birth
a (Brit) to play first violin in (an orchestra)
b intr (of an instrument or voice) to be assigned an important entry in a piece of music
13 to direct and guide (one's partner) in a dance
a to pass or spend
I lead a miserable life
b to cause to pass a life of a particular kind
to lead a person a dog's life
15 intr; foll by: to to tend (to) or result (in)
this will only lead to misery
16 to initiate a round of cards by putting down (the first card) or to have the right to do this
she led a diamond
17 tr to aim at a point in front of (a moving target) in shooting, etc., in order to allow for the time of flight
18 intr (Boxing) to make an offensive blow, esp. as one's habitual attacking punch
southpaws lead with their right
19 ♦
lead astray to mislead so as to cause error or wrongdoing
20 ♦
lead by the nose See →
nose →
12
n
a the first, foremost, or most prominent place
b (as modifier)
lead singer
22 example, precedence, or leadership
the class followed the teacher's lead
23 an advance or advantage held over others
the runner had a lead of twenty yards
24 anything that guides or directs; indication; clue
25 another name for →
leash
26 the act or prerogative of playing the first card in a round of cards or the card so played
27 the principal role in a play, film, etc., or the person playing such a role
a the principal news story in a newspaper
the scandal was the lead in the papers
b the opening paragraph of a news story
c (as modifier)
lead story
29 (Music) an important entry assigned to one part usually at the beginning of a movement or section
30 a wire, cable, or other conductor for making an electrical connection
a one's habitual attacking punch
32 (Nautical) the direction in which a rope runs
33 a deposit of metal or ore; lode
34 the firing of a gun, missile, etc., ahead of a moving target to correct for the time of flight of the projectile, (See also)
→
lead off →
lead on →
lead up to
(Old English lædan; related to lithan to travel, Old High German lidan to go)