LEAD OFF

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lead off mean? 

• LEAD OFF (verb)
  The verb LEAD OFF has 2 senses:

1. teach immoral behavior to

2. set in motion, cause to start

  Familiarity information: LEAD OFF used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEAD OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Teach immoral behavior to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

lead astray; lead off

Context example:

It was common practice to lead off the young ones, and teach them bad habits

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

corrupt; debase; debauch; demoralise; demoralize; deprave; misdirect; pervert; profane; subvert; vitiate (corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Set in motion, cause to start

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

begin; commence; lead off; start

Context example:

begin a new chapter in your life

Cause:

begin; start (have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense)

Verb group:

begin (have a beginning, of a temporal event)

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

jump-start; jumpstart (start or re-start vigorously)

recommence (cause to start anew)

inaugurate; introduce; usher in (be a precursor of)

set off (set in motion or cause to begin)

commence; embark on; start; start up (get off the ground)

Sentence frames:

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

 Context examples 

The two men had stood up to each other, Jim as light upon his feet as a goat, with his left well out and his right thrown across the lower part of his chest, while Berks held both arms half extended and his feet almost level, so that he might lead off with either side.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)