LEAD (led)

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lead mean? 

• LEAD (noun)
  The noun LEAD has 17 senses:

1. an advantage held by a competitor in a race

2. a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey

3. evidence pointing to a possible solution

4. a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase 'take the lead')

5. the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)

6. the introductory section of a story

7. (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning

8. an actor who plays a principal role

9. (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base

10. an indication of potential opportunity

11. a news story of major importance

12. the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine

13. restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal

14. thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

15. mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

16. a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire

17. the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge

  Familiarity information: LEAD used as a noun is very familiar.

• LEAD (verb)
  The verb LEAD has 14 senses:

1. take somebody somewhere

2. produce as a result or residue

3. tend to or result in

4. travel in front of; go in advance of others

5. cause to undertake a certain action

6. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point

7. be in charge of

8. be ahead of others; be the first

9. be conducive to

10. lead, as in the performance of a composition

11. lead, extend, or afford access

12. move ahead (of others) in time or space

13. cause something to pass or lead somewhere

14. preside over

  Familiarity information: LEAD used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEAD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An advantage held by a competitor in a race

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

he took the lead at the last turn

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

advantage; vantage (the quality of having a superior or more favorable position)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 82; lead; Pb

Context example:

the children were playing with lead soldiers

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

metal; metallic element (any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lead"):

hard lead (unrefined lead that is hard because of the impurities it contains)

antimonial lead; hard lead (a lead alloy that contains about 5% antimony)

pig lead (lead that is cast in pigs)

Holonyms ("lead" is a substance of...):

cerussite; white lead ore (a mineral consisting of lead carbonate that is an important source of lead)

galena (soft blue-grey mineral; lead sulfide; a major source of lead)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Evidence pointing to a possible solution

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

lead; track; trail

Context example:

the trail led straight to the perpetrator

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

evidence; grounds (your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase 'take the lead')

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

they didn't follow our lead

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

leadership; leading (the activity of leading)

Derivation:

lead (preside over)

lead (lead, as in the performance of a composition)

lead (be in charge of)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

angle (the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The introductory section of a story

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

lead; lead-in; lede

Context example:

it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

section; subdivision (a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical))

Holonyms ("lead" is a part of...):

news article; news story; newspaper article (an article reporting news)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

score (a number that expresses the accomplishment of a team or an individual in a game or contest)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Antonym:

deficit ((sports) the score by which a team or individual is losing)

Sense 8

Meaning:

An actor who plays a principal role

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

lead; principal; star

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian (a theatrical performer)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lead"):

co-star (one of two actors who are given equal status as stars in a play or film)

film star; movie star (a star who plays leading roles in the cinema)

idol; matinee idol (someone who is adored blindly and excessively)

television star; TV star (a star in a television show)

Sense 9

Meaning:

(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Context example:

he took a long lead off first

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

place; position (the particular portion of space occupied by something)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sense 10

Meaning:

An indication of potential opportunity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

confidential information; hint; lead; steer; tip; wind

Context example:

a good lead for a job

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

counsel; counseling; counselling; direction; guidance (something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action)

Sense 11

Meaning:

A news story of major importance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

lead; lead story

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

news article; news story; newspaper article (an article reporting news)

Sense 12

Meaning:

The timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

lead; spark advance

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

timing (the time when something happens)

Sense 13

Meaning:

Restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

lead; leash; tether

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

constraint; restraint (a device that retards something's motion)

Sense 14

Meaning:

Thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

lead; leading

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

Sense 15

Meaning:

Mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

lead; pencil lead

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

black lead; graphite; plumbago (used as a lubricant and as a moderator in nuclear reactors)

Holonyms ("lead" is a part of...):

lead pencil (pencil that has graphite as the marking substance)

Sense 16

Meaning:

A jumper that consists of a short piece of wire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

booster cable; jumper cable; jumper lead; lead

Context example:

it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

jumper (a small connector used to make temporary electrical connections)

conducting wire; wire (a metal conductor that carries electricity over a distance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lead"):

clip lead (a short piece of wire with alligator clips on both ends)

Sense 17

Meaning:

The playing of a card to start a trick in bridge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the lead was in the dummy

Hypernyms ("lead" is a kind of...):

play; turn ((game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession)

Holonyms ("lead" is a part of...):

card game; cards (a game played with playing cards)

• LEAD (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take somebody somewhere

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

conduct; direct; guide; lead; take

Context example:

He conducted us to the palace

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

beacon (guide with a beacon)

hand (guide or conduct or usher somewhere)

lead astray; misdirect; misguide; mislead (lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions)

show; usher (take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The men lead the horses across the field

Derivation:

leader (a person who rules or guides or inspires others)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Produce as a result or residue

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

lead; leave; result

Context example:

Her blood left a stain on the napkin

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

bring about; give rise; produce (cause to happen, occur or exist)

Verb group:

leave (act or be so as to become in a specified state)

leave (have left or have as a remainder)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

lead (tend to or result in)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Tend to or result in

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

This remark lead to further arguments among the guests

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

lead; leave; result (produce as a result or residue)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

entail; implicate (impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result)

necessitate (cause to be a concomitant)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Travel in front of; go in advance of others

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

head; lead

Context example:

The procession was headed by John

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

lead; precede (move ahead (of others) in time or space)

Verb group:

head; head up (be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

draw away (move ahead of (one's competitors) in a race)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

leader (a person who rules or guides or inspires others)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to undertake a certain action

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

Her greed led her to forge the checks

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

cause; get; have; induce; make; stimulate (cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

give (guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They lead him to write the letter

Derivation:

leader (a person who rules or guides or inspires others)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

extend; go; lead; pass; run

Context example:

The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

be (occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere)

Verb group:

range; run (change or be different within limits)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

come (extend or reach)

radiate; ray (extend or spread outward from a center or focus or inward towards a center)

go deep; go far (extend in importance or range)

underrun (run or pass below)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 7

Meaning:

Be in charge of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

head; lead

Context example:

Who is heading this project?

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

direct (be in charge of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

chair; chairman (act or preside as chair, as of an academic department in a university)

captain (be the captain of a sports team)

spearhead (be the leader of)

take charge; take control; take hold (assume control)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They lead him to write the letter

Derivation:

lead (a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase 'take the lead'))

leader (a person who rules or guides or inspires others)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Be ahead of others; be the first

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

lead; top

Context example:

she topped her class every year

"Lead" entails doing...:

compete; contend; vie (compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 9

Meaning:

Be conducive to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

conduce; contribute; lead

Context example:

The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

advance; boost; encourage; further; promote (contribute to the progress or growth of)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 10

Meaning:

Lead, as in the performance of a composition

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

conduct; direct; lead

Context example:

conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

do; execute; perform (carry out or perform an action)

Verb group:

conduct (lead musicians in the performance of)

Domain category:

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

lead (a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase 'take the lead'))

Sense 11

Meaning:

Lead, extend, or afford access

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

go; lead

Context example:

The road runs South

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

be (occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 12

Meaning:

Move ahead (of others) in time or space

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lead; precede

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead"):

head; lead (travel in front of; go in advance of others)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 13

Meaning:

Cause something to pass or lead somewhere

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

lead; run

Context example:

Run the wire behind the cabinet

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

make pass; pass (cause to pass)

Verb group:

draw; guide; pass; run (pass over, across, or through)

range; run (change or be different within limits)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 14

Meaning:

Preside over

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

chair; lead; moderate

Context example:

John moderated the discussion

Hypernyms (to "lead" is one way to...):

discuss; hash out; talk over (speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

lead (a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase 'take the lead'))

 Context examples 

This we reached about midday, only to find a shallow valley beyond, rising once again into a gentle incline which led to a low, rounded sky-line.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In a few minutes I had written my note, paid Whitney’s bill, led him out to the cab, and seen him driven through the darkness.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There stood the bear, and he called the fox before him and said: Fox, you are the most cunning of all animals, you shall be general and lead us.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I make for the wicket leading to the shrubbery, and I see Mr. Rochester entering.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The building stage was led by six students, but a total 400 worked on the project, which involved other science activities as well.

(Satellite made by Brazilian junior high students launched in Japan, Agência Brasil)

Meth use can quickly lead to addiction.

(Methamphetamine, NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse)

This leads to a blockage of nerve impulse conduction and results in a loss of sensation.

(Mepivacaine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

He was called before the curtain, and with great propriety appeared, leading Hagar, whose singing was considered more wonderful than all the rest of the performance put together.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A traumatic brain injury can lead to a mental disorder.

(Mental Disorders, NIH)

When they came to the steps, leading upwards from the beach, a gentleman, at the same moment preparing to come down, politely drew back, and stopped to give them way.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)