leader
lead.er \'le-d-*r\ \-l*s\ \-.ship\ n 1: something that leads : as 1a: a primary or terminal shoot of a plant 1b: TENDON, SINEW pl 1c: dots or hyphens (as in an index) used to lead the eye horizontally : ELLIPSIS chiefly Brit 1d: a newspaper editorial 1e1: something for guiding fish into a trap 1e2: a short length of material for attaching the end of a fishing line to a lure or hook 1f: a pipe for conducting fluid 1g: an article offered at an attractive special low price to stimulate busi ness 1h: something that ranks first 2: a person that leads : as 2a: GUIDE, CONDUCTOR 2b1: a person who directs a military force or unit 2b2: a person who has commanding authority or influence 2c1: the principal officer of a British political party 2c2: a member chosen by his party to manage party activities in a legislati ve body 2c3: such a member presiding over the whole legislative body when his party constitutes a majority 2c4: one that exercises paramount but responsible authority over a state or local party organization 2c5: the principal member of the party elite in a totalitarian system endow ed by official ideology with a heroic or mystical character, exercising governmental power with a minimum of formal constitutional restraints, and characterized by extreme use of nationalist demagogy and claims to be above narrow class or group interests 2d1: CONDUCTOR 2d2: a first or principal performer of a group 3: a horse placed in advance of the other horses horses of a team 4: STRAW BOSS, FOREMAN - lead.er.less aj
Webster's English Dictionary