n. [ OE. led, leed, lead, AS. leád; akin to D. lood, MHG. lōt, G. loth plummet, sounding lead, small weight, Sw. & Dan. lod. √123. ] 1. (Chem.) 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 (melting point 327.5° C), forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82. Atomic weight, 207.2. Symbol Pb (L. Plumbum). It is chiefly obtained from the mineral galena, lead sulphide. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An article made of lead or an alloy of lead; as: (a) A plummet or mass of lead, used in sounding at sea. (b) (Print.) A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing. (c) Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs; hence, pl., a roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. Bacon [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A small cylinder of black lead or graphite, used in pencils. [ 1913 Webster ]

Black lead, graphite or plumbago; -- so called from its leadlike appearance and streak. [ Colloq. ] --
Coasting lead, a sounding lead intermediate in weight between a hand lead and deep-sea lead. --
Deep-sea lead, the heaviest of sounding leads, used in water exceeding a hundred fathoms in depth. Ham. Nav. Encyc. --
Hand lead, a small lead use for sounding in shallow water. --
Krems lead,
Kremnitz lead [ so called from Krems or Kremnitz, in Austria ], a pure variety of white lead, formed into tablets, and called also Krems white, or Kremnitz white, and Vienna white. --
Lead arming, tallow put in the hollow of a sounding lead. See To arm the lead (below). --
Lead colic. See under Colic. --
Lead color, a deep bluish gray color, like tarnished lead. --
Lead glance. (Min.) Same as Galena. --
Lead line (a) (Med.) A dark line along the gums produced by a deposit of metallic lead, due to lead poisoning. (b) (Naut.) A sounding line. --
Lead mill, a leaden polishing wheel, used by lapidaries. --
Lead ocher (Min.), a massive sulphur-yellow oxide of lead. Same as Massicot. --
Lead pencil, a pencil of which the marking material is graphite (black lead). --
Lead plant (Bot.), a low leguminous plant, genus Amorpha (Amorpha canescens), found in the Northwestern United States, where its presence is supposed to indicate lead ore. Gray. --
Lead tree. (a) (Bot.) A West Indian name for the tropical, leguminous tree, Leucæna glauca; -- probably so called from the glaucous color of the foliage. (b) (Chem.) Lead crystallized in arborescent forms from a solution of some lead salt, as by suspending a strip of zinc in lead acetate. --
Mock lead, a miner's term for blende. --
Red lead, a scarlet, crystalline, granular powder, consisting of minium when pure, but commonly containing several of the oxides of lead. It is used as a paint or cement and also as an ingredient of flint glass. --
Red lead ore (Min.), crocoite. --
Sugar of lead, acetate of lead. --
To arm the lead, to fill the hollow in the bottom of a sounding lead with tallow in order to discover the nature of the bottom by the substances adhering. Ham. Nav. Encyc. --
To cast the lead, or
To heave the lead, to cast the sounding lead for ascertaining the depth of water. --
White lead, hydrated carbonate of lead, obtained as a white, amorphous powder, and much used as an ingredient of white paint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the lead; to be under the lead of another. [ 1913 Webster ]

At the time I speak of, and having a momentary lead, . . . I am sure I did my country important service. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Cards & Dominoes) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An open way in an ice field. Kane. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mining) A lode. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Naut.) The course of a rope from end to end. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Steam Engine) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When used alone it means outside lead, or lead for the admission of steam. Inside lead refers to the release or exhaust. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Civil Engineering) the distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Horology) The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet. Saunier. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Music.) (a) The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts. (b) A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

11. 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. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

12. (Mach.) The excess above a right angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine, on the same shaft. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

13. (Mach.) In spiral screw threads, worm wheels, or the like, the amount of advance of any point in the spiral for a complete turn. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

14. (Elec.) (a) The angle between the line joining the brushes of a continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical between the poles. (b) The advance of the current phase in an alternating circuit beyond that of the electromotive force producing it. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

15. (Theat.) A role for a leading man or leading woman; also, one who plays such a role. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

16. The first story in a newspaper or broadcast news program. [ PJC ]

17. an electrical conductor, typically as an insulated wire or cable, connecting an electrical device to another device or to a power source, such as a conductor conveying electricity from a dynamo. [ PJC ]

18. (Baseball) the distance a runner on base advances from one base toward the next before the pitch; as, the long lead he usually takes tends to distract the pitchers. [ PJC ]

Lead angle (Steam Engine), the angle which the crank maker with the line of centers, in approaching it, at the instant when the valve opens to admit steam. --
Lead screw (Mach.), the main longitudinal screw of a lathe, which gives the feed motion to the carriage. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preëminence; to be first or chief; -- used in most of the senses of lead, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mountain foot that leads towards Mantua. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To lead off or
To lead out, to go first; to begin; as, Mickey Mantle led off in the fifth inning of the game. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Leaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Leading. ] 1. To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Print.) To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Led p. pr. & vb. n. Leading. ] [ OE. leden, AS. l&aemacr_;dan (akin to OS. lēdian, D. leiden, G. leiten, Icel. leīða, Sw. leda, Dan. lede), properly a causative fr. AS. liðan to go; akin to OHG. līdan, Icel. līða, Goth. leiþan (in comp.). Cf. Lode, Loath. ] 1. To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact or connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in the ditch. Wyclif (Matt. xv. 14.) [ 1913 Webster ]

They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill. Luke iv. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

In thy right hand lead with thee
The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way. Ex. xiii. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

He leadeth me beside the still waters. Ps. xxiii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask.
Content, though blind, had I no better guide. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or possess places. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. Leigh Hunt. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was driven by the necessities of the times, more than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of actions. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

Silly women, laden with sins, led away by divers lusts. 2 Tim. iii. 6 (Rev. Ver.). [ 1913 Webster ]

6. 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). [ 1913 Webster ]

That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. 1 Tim. ii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse
A life that leads melodious days. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife and daughter. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Cards & Dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led. [ 1913 Webster ]

To lead astray, to guide in a wrong way, or into error; to seduce from truth or rectitude. --
To lead captive, to carry or bring into captivity. --
To lead the way, to show the way by going in front; to act as guide. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Fitted with lead; set in lead; as, leaded windows. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Print.) Separated by leads, as the lines of a page. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Made of lead; of the nature of lead; as, a leaden ball. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Like lead in color, etc.; as, a leaden sky. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Heavy; dull; sluggish. “Leaden slumber.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, leads or conducts; a guide; a conductor. Especially: (a) One who goes first. (b) One having authority to direct; a chief; a commander. (c) (Mus.) A performer who leads a band or choir in music; also, in an orchestra, the principal violinist; the one who plays at the head of the first violins. (d) (Naut.) A block of hard wood pierced with suitable holes for leading ropes in their proper places. (e) (Mach.) The principal wheel in any kind of machinery. [ Obs. or R. ] G. Francis. (f) A horse placed in advance of others; one of the forward pair of horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

He forgot to pull in his leaders, and they gallop away with him at times. Hare.

(g) A pipe for conducting rain water from a roof to a cistern or to the ground; a conductor. (h) (Fishing) A net for leading fish into a pound, weir, etc.; also, a line of gut, to which the snell of a fly hook is attached. (i) (Mining) A branch or small vein, not important in itself, but indicating the proximity of a better one. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The first, or the principal, editorial article in a newspaper; a leading or main editorial article. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Print.) (a) A type having a dot or short row of dots upon its face. (b) pl. a row of dots, periods, or hyphens, used in tables of contents, etc., to lead the eye across a space to the right word or number. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- chief; chieftain; commander. See Chief. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. lacking a leader; as, a leaderless mob running riot in the streets. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the body of people who lead a group; the leadership{ 3 }; as, they hung the leaders of the insurrection.
Syn. -- leadership. [ WordNet 1.5 ]