Webster's English Dictionary

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lead

Cross references:
  1. guide                  2. element               
 
1. lead \'le-d\ \'led\ vb or led;  or lead.ing [ME leden, fr. OE 
   l-dan; akin to OHG leitan to le]ad, OE li-than to go 1a: to guide on a 
   way esp. by going in advance  1b: to direct on a course or in a direction  
   1c: to serve as a channel for {pipes ~ water into canals}  2: to go through 
   : LIVE {~ a quiet life}  3a1: to direct the operations, activity, or 
   performance of {~ an o rchestra} 3a2: to have charge of {~ a campaign}  
   3b1: to go at the head of {~ a parade}  3b2: to be first in or among {~ the 
   league}  3b3: to have a margin over {led his opponent}  4: to being play 
   with {~ trumps}  5: to aim in front of (a moving object) {~ a duck}  6: to 
   direct (a blow) at an opponent in boxing  1a: to guide someone or something 
   along a way  1b: to lie, run, or open in a specified place or direction 
   {path ~ s uphill} 2a: to be first  2b1: BEGIN, OPEN {~ off for the home 
   team}  2b2: to play the first card  3: to tend toward a definite result 
   {study ~ing to a degree)>
2. lead n 1a1: position at the front : VANGUARD  1a2: INITIATIVE  1a3: the 
   act or privilege of leading in cards; also : the card or s uit led 1b1: 
   LEADERSHIP  1b2: EXAMPLE, PRECEDENT  1c: a margin or measure of advantage 
   or superiority or position in advance  2: one that leads : as  2a1: LODE  
   2a2: an auriferous gravel deposit in an old river bed; esp : one bu ried 
   under lava 2b: a channel of water through a field of ice  2c: INDICATION, 
   CLUE  2d: a principal role in a dramatic production; also : one who plays  
   such a role 2e: LEASH  2f1: an introductory section of a news story  2f2: a 
   news story of chief importance  3: an insulated electrical conductor  4: 
   the length of a rope from end to end  5: a position taken by a base runner 
   off a base toward the next 
3. lead aj : acting or serving as a leader {~ article} 
4. lead \'led\ n [ME leed, fr. OE le-ad, fr. OE le-ad; akin to MHG lo] 
   often attrib -t lead 1: a heavy soft malleable ductile plastic but 
   inelastic bivalent or tetrava lent bluish white metallic element found 
   mostly in combination and used esp. in pipes, cable sheaths, batteries, 
   solder, type metal, and shields against radioactivity 2a: a plummet for 
   sounding at sea  pl, Brit  2b: a usu. flat lead roof  pl  2c: lead framing 
   for panes in windows  2d: a thin strip of metal used to separate lines of 
   type in printing  3a: a thin stick of marking substance in or for a pencil  
   3b: WHITE LEAD  4: BULLETS, PROJECTILES  5: TETRAETHYL LEAD 
5. lead \'led\ vt 1: to cover, line, or weight with lead  2: to fix (window 
   glass) in position with leads  3: to place leads or other spacing material 
   between the lines of (type mat ter) 4: to treat or mix with lead or a lead 
   compound {~ed gasolin e}